"Ah love this smile emoticon Jade Dressler illustrated meee
I'm so honored."
says author Aspen Matis on Facebook
I met Aspen Matis at a book signing for her memoir, Girl in The Woods. After her rape the second night of college, she walks the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. Along the way a nerdy, scared girl finds Modern Love within herself.
I LOVED this book. It came into being because the team at HarperCollins, led by Lisa Sharkey read Aspen's short piece in the Modern Love column of the New York Times.
Thus, here is my illustration of Aspen as a trailblazer. I especially identified with Aspen's tale after walking the trails of Big Sur California last year with my bestie, Monique Baron. We re-affirmed that the healing power of Nature can best the rocky trails of Modern Love !
At its core, the book speaks to healing our thoughts on how we perceive ourselves. Aspen carried a helpless, hapless, "nerd" concept of herself and took to Nature to be in the one place she felt her power. She encounters love, companions, disasters and life-threatening adventures. I portrayed her on the edge, as we are in our minds and within modern love. I've discovered that walking each edge, facing and transforming each fear into LOVE, this deepens our inner strengths.
PS. Buy this book, it's seriously a solid read and the author speaks out about college rape and donates to that cause. Get your hike on kids, a rapist is a bully and a nerd inside. #SpeakOut #healing via #PowerofNature
PPS Plus Lena Dunham likes this book, she wrote, "Beautiful and so Wildly Engaging!"
PPPS Every #girl + maybe her #mom 2 should read it! #powerful
PPPPS Hang this illustration anywhere to inspire!
