A Leslie Grant Documentary Coming Soon!

Self Discovery From The Inside Out:

My Journey

  • Family

    I was a reserved and anxious child, raised in the Catholic faith, and attuned to my parents' relationship dynamics. Like many, I unconsciously carry the emotional burdens of both their experiences and those of my ancestors.

  • Fear

    My foundational mindset was shaped by a pervasive sense of apprehension. I often felt a significant level of self-consciousness and unease, as if there was a continual undercurrent of fear within me.

  • Going Invisible

    I sought security and protection, believing I had found it in a partnership. However, the dynamics of the relationship led to increased anxiety and fear rather than an alleviation. Over time, I found myself diminishing and gradually fading from my own presence.

  • My Marriage

    “You’re stupid.” “Shut up and don’t think.” This was the mantra of an intelligent, creative individual who had endured abuse and, in turn, perpetuated it. The drawing illustrates my spirit confined behind prison bars, with duct tape over my mouth and a steel plate separating my mind from my body, disconnecting me from my heart.

  • Dark Place

    The internal struggle of loving someone who engages in abusive behavior is a profoundly unsettling experience. It is a dark place. It leaves both individuals feeling emotionally drained, disconnected and spiritually dead.

  • Suppressed Rage

    Oppressed. My voice silenced. My rage suppressed. My spirit crushed and powerless.

  • Resurrection

    Time to recognize the generational trauma of abuse and break the chain. Time to acknowledge my innate strengths. Time to rise up, forgive, and heal.

  • Heart in a Box

    Out of the marriage, but my heart is still in a box. It is a false sense of safety. Slowly, mindfully, surrounded by safe, supportive people, I opened the lid.

  • Reconstruction.

    Reconstruction.

    Gathering the lost and forgotten parts of myself so that I can rebuild my life.

  • Gatekeeper

    I can be my own gatekeeper. I can let the flowers in and keep the weeds out.

  • Inner Child.

    Inner Child.

    It’s finally safe to let my inner child come out from hiding.

  • Power Pose

    Power Pose

    I do the work to grow in self-understanding and self-acceptance.

  • Integration

    I love myself and who I am becoming!

  • Calm Energy

    I practice mindfulness.

  • Peace

    I seek peace and enlightenment.

  • Touch Others

    I help others on their healing journey.

Guided breathing

Wisdom reading

Creative activity

Journaling

Guided movement

Group sharing

The Process

Guided breathing to arrive in the present moment fully aware of mind, body, and spirit.

Wisdom reading to teach right thinking.

Creative activity to practice intuitive processing and cognitive reassessing.

Journaling to document any thoughts, feelings, or sensations that came up during the practice, and to integrate learning.

Brief guided movement to practice being in the body, and not just in our heads.

Optional group sharing to practice articulating, acknowledging and accepting.

COLLAGING

Rhode Island School of Design Industrial Design students engaged in guided breathing exercises and practiced mindful, intuitive collage techniques. This approach allowed students to access previously untapped facets of their creativity, leading to improved outcomes in their class projects.

MANDALAS + DOODLING

In Sanskrit, the term "mandala" translates to “sacred center” or “circle.” It symbolizes the universe and the quest for completeness and self-unity.

Doodling refers to the act of creating pictures or patterns while engaging in other thoughts. It serves as a simple and accessible method for exploring emotions or mental states without judgment.

The outcome is a form of self-expression utilizing line, shape, and color. Each individual interprets the personal insights they received from engaging in this experience.

WEAVING YOURSELF

The objective of this activity was to create a representative weaving inspired by the principles of Internal Family Systems. Participants were led through a meditation in which they envisioned all facets of themselves at a personal “family” gathering. They were then invited to create a weaving using yarn, ribbon, sticks, or other materials to symbolize various aspects of their identities or experiences. At the conclusion, one participant remarked, “Here’s my whole life in a weaving!”