b'Figure 3. Concerning Motherhood (detail), image courtesy of the authorReflections and SignificanceAs I consider this work, I am reminded that I began without an end in mind: from start to finish, it was an instinctive process. By writing intuitively, then weaving the pieces into a coherent whole, I found an inner voice leading me towards accepting being in the middle of potential, life-altering choices. As I formed an overarching narrative and created an end, I actively internalized and solidified its significance for my current being in the world. I chose the meaning, the result, and the purpose of it all. In this way, my art and story simultaneously created purpose and meaning in my reality, becoming a safe space for questioning and a source of self-reflection (Kay, 2020).AsIwrote,drew,captured,andanimated,Imanipulatedmyselfas the object of attention, taking control and allowing for a play with ideas that, in reality, would be difficult to consider as they oppose the cultural master narrativelinkingfemininityandmotherhood(Shapiro,2014).Bybeingina state of play, and becoming an advocate for the fictionalized version of my various temporal selves, I recognized what mattered most and my very real agency in the present. As such, I found this visual story to be an active pathway to myself, others, and the world. According to Levine (1997), when we allow ourselvestobecome-withtheartworkwemake,weengageinpoiesis,an act that shapes the world, not merely the art. This mode of visual storytelling allowed me to imagine possible worlds while simultaneously bringing one into being: a reality where my anxieties dissipate and fragmented parts of me are embraced. This visual story, in process and product, became my guide on a path toward realization and restoration (McNiff, 1992), and though never intended for catharsis, healing from my suppressed anxiety emerged.52TRENDS 2025'