“When They See Me”

For Dr. Aleeyah (@doctorleeyah)

Illustrated using Procreate on the iPad Pro

It was a joy to get to work on this illustration for Dr. Aleeyah, who is a Doctor of Dental Medicine using her platform to educate, advocate for, and empower underrepresented communities around dental health. She gave me the best “vision” notes that immediately helped me visualize what she was going for, and it was such a satisfying challenge to try and translate her ideas into an illustrated form.

Her reflections on the importance of representation in dentistry can be found here.

“A Letter to My Younger Self”

For Brooklynne Palmer (@beetsbybrooke)

Illustrated using Procreate on the iPad Pro

This piece was such a privilege to work on. Brooklynne is my medical school classmate and she uses her platform to advocate for a broader more inclusive understanding of health - one that encompasses nutrition, justice, and equity as a fundamental cornerstone. She shared with me a vision of her current self speaking to her younger self, reflecting on the pains and joys of growing up as a Black woman in the United States. We workshopped different details and ideas until we settled on this final illustration. Please take a moment to read the powerful poem she wrote to accompany this illustration here.

“Spotlight: Stephanie Shea, MS2”

For the Mental Health and Wellness Newsletter spotlight on Stephanie Shea

Illustrated using Procreate on the iPad Pro

This portrait of one of my wonderful medical school classmates, Stephanie Shea, was illustrated to accompany her reflections on cultivating mental health through yoga and advocacy, which were featured in our Mental Health and Wellness newsletter. Check out the full issue and the writeup on Stephanie’s story here.