BeLEAF's REFLECTIONS: A Photovoice Project was previewed at the Racine Arts Council Art Seed Showcase: Creativity in Bloom on March 22nd and then showcased at BeLEAF's Reflections of Hope event on April 4th. We heard viewers describe the collection of work as deep, powerful, and moving as well as complimenting each artisit's unique creative approach.
Sorry that you missed it? No worries! The show has an online presence on this page, as well.
What Is Photovoice?
Photovoice provides advocacy through art. Art is a powerful form of expression that goes beyond just creating beautiful pieces. It offers a platform to voice concerns, amplify marginalized voices, and bring change. It is a conversation starter with society to engage and educate. To this end, we are presenting an exhibition during the April 2025 Sexual Assault Awareness Month to highlight the vulnerabilities and strengths of the survivors we serve. The opportunity to receive an ArtSeed grant gave us Photovoice as a result.
Photovoice is a process in which survivors express themselves with their own photographic images that capture aspects of their lived experiences to share with others. The pictures are being exhibited, paired with captions composed by the survivors, to bring the realities of survivors’ lives to the public to empower survivors and create support.
Thanks, to the teachers who led the educational workshops for the participants, to the Racine Arts Council for the ArtSeed grant support, and to Aurora Health Care for being a presenting sponsor. Very special thanks to our paticipant photographers who shared themselves with each other and the audience in such a personal and inspriational way.
Experience the show.
Silent all These Years By: Roxanne K. Many people wonder why it takes children so long to disclose their sexual abuse. The truth is they don't tell because they are absolutely terrified. Terrified they will break up their families. Terrified they will get in trouble. Terrified they will get hurt worse. Terrified their abuser will be taken to jail. Terrified the world will look at them differently. Terrified that it's their fault. Terrified no one will believe them. Terrified.
Who Rescued Who?
By: Haley Syring
On October 1st 2006, THE DORA was born. Fast forward to August 1st 2019, I went to the Vet to pick up some Heartgard medicine for my dog, Hana. I walk in and I see a Tortoiseshell cat sitting on the counter. I started petting her, which is not something I normally do since I am very allergic to cats. Then I proceed to pick her up which I don’t believe, before that moment, I ever, in my entire life, picked up a cat, since I am extremely allergic to cats. I then started taking pictures with her. I felt such a strong connection with her I could not explain it.
I then asked the vet about her. They told me she was available for adoption. I could not believe my luck! I was shocked with all the people coming and going that no one adopted her yet. I questioned them. They advised they just wanted her to go to a good home. They said there was no adoption fee. She was in good health but that she is 11 years old almost 12. They told me that people want kittens not an older cat. I also asked them about her history. They advised me the previous family that had her got a puppy, moved, and left Dora there alone. Hearing that absolutely broke my heart. They said, in the meantime, Dora was going from one person’s home to the next amongst the staff at the vet. All the people who worked at the vet and all the people who came and went from the vet and not one person was willing to adopt her. They kept saying that she is an older cat and people want kittens. I told them I was going to be going on vacation but I would keep in touch about Dora. Walking out of the vet that day I knew what my heart was telling me.
August 23rd 2019, was the day THE Dora no longer had to worry about anything and I made sure of that. I was living in Port Washington, Wisconsin at the time. Every level of my home had food and water for her and she even had more bathrooms in my home that I did. Also, she had the largest bedroom in our home. I cleaned out the master bedroom and filled it with toys, scratching posts, a bathroom for her, beds, food and water so she could use it as her very own playroom. A room that was just hers, hoping to make her feel special, safe and loved unconditionally.
My life has taken several major turns since THE DORA came into my life. The picture to the right is other looking out the window during our move from Port Washington to Mount Pleasant. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be here today, if it wasn’t for THE DORA, who got me through some of the roughest times of my life. So who rescued who? The answer is very clear to me that THE DORA rescued me.
I want to express my gratitude for your support and contribution to BeLEAF’s Reflection of Hope event. Thank you for taking the time to view my work and read my artist statement. Without the selfless dedication of the staff at BeLEAF, volunteers and the donors, this event, along with BeLEAF Survivors Inc. would not be possible. Thank you and enjoy the event!
***Hayley Syring Photography is not held legally responsible for the transformative experience that comes with “rescuing a cat”*** *results may vary* ***THE FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BELONGS TO THE DORA SYRING***
Burdock in the Fall
By: Luna Ravenwolf
Fall is the season that teaches us to let go, but as you can see there is still life.
Even in our darkest times we can look for the light.
We are able to overcome what challenges us and heal what harms us.
Yes, there might be scars, but they show we survived what others cannot even imagine.
We can thrive like this beautiful burdock plant.
I am a survivor!
Life Storms
By: Lika Phipps
Sometimes the weather, like life, can be scary. Yet when the storm passes, we’re still here persevering.
Fight! Fight Till You Can’t Stop Fighting! – No stop! Give up!
By: Scarlett Gibbs
Those are the thoughts that went through my head each time I was assaulted! These photographs not only show you the dark that lives inside my head because of what happened to me but also the light that shines bright still because I chose to fight and have decided to fight every single day since. I am 1 in 6 women who have been assaulted. I am 1 in 9 children who have been assaulted. I am a three-time sexual assault survivor. I chose to fight and survive; I now choose to be a sexual assault advocate to give others a chance to fight and survive.
I’d like to credit the photographer and my friend who helped me capture my innermost feelings, and vulnerabilities, and challenges. Thank you, Alex Schwartz.
From Survivor to Thriver: Rooted in Hope, Rising in Faith
By: Candace Sanchez
"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." – Romans 5:3-4
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." – Jeremiah 29:11
When I look at this picture, I see the journey from survivor to thriver.
The vast sky, open and limitless, reminds me of peace, renewal, and the hope that never fades. But below, the jagged rocks represent the struggles—the moments of despair, of feeling trapped in pain, of wondering if healing would ever come. Rock bottom is a place no one wants to be, yet so many of us have been there.
For so long, I carried the weight of shame, blame, fear, and guilt. It was a storm I couldn’t escape, a burden too heavy to shake. Like the trees in this image, I swayed—bent under the weight of trauma, unsure if I could stand tall again. But healing is not about avoiding the storm—it is about learning to stand firm in its midst.
And then, something shifted.
I spoke my truth. No matter how painful it was, I released it from holding me captive. That is when the winds began to change. One voice empowers another. We begin to change the world by using our voices, reclaiming our power, because we will not be silent anymore.
I came to understand that I was never alone. And just as important—I came to know this truth: This was never my fault.
So many others have walked this journey—survivors standing together, lifting one another up, thriving in the face of everything meant to break us. Healing is lifelong, but it is never meant to be walked alone.
A Journey Beyond This Life
Life on this earth is temporary. While healing has no final destination, I know that when my journey here comes to an end, I will have peace for all eternity.
Romans 5:3-4 reminds me that suffering is not the end of the story—it is the beginning of strength. Every struggle produces perseverance, which builds character, which leads to unshakable hope. And in Jeremiah 29:11, I am reminded that God has always had a plan for me—one of hope, healing, and a future greater than I could have ever imagined.
Until then, I will keep standing. I will keep thriving. I will keep sharing my story so that others know they are not alone.
Survivors shift to THRIVERS every day. We rise from the ashes—just like the trees rise from the rocks. We grow through our experiences, leaning into our inner strength, the support of others, and the wisdom gained along the way. Whether through faith, spirituality, or the deeper understanding that healing is possible, we find our way forward.
Because we are resilient. We are courageous. We are strong.
And together, we thrive.
Dark Bloom
By: Dawn Helmrich
I looked up and this plant that my son gave me for Christmas suddenly had grown long and had what looked like the beginning of a bloom on it. It was an amaryllis encased in wax because my son knows that I don’t keep house plants alive very well. I was beyond excited for this beautiful flower to break through the darkness of this weather and feeling I was having during this time of year.
A few days passed and when I returned home from work my husband broke the sad news to me that our wonderful dog had knocked the plant off the shelf and the wax encasement had cracked open. I nearly cried. I wanted this flower to bloom so badly, but the likelihood of that happening now had diminished greatly. I took the plant to the sink and gave it a little bit of water, hoping I could salvage it somehow.
The very next day the bloom began to open and right in front of my eyes this beautiful flower emerged from its cracked exterior. Symbolic of how my life is reflected. I imagined the absolute strength it must have taken for that precious flower to bloom in the face of adversity, having fallen from a large bookcase, crashing to the ground, only to be picked up and cared for the best that one could by someone who really didn’t know what she was doing. Broken, but unwilling to look damaged from the outside. Feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment for emerging so beautifully from a situation that was outside of their control.
Looking at the shadow on the wall behind it, the shadow that looks nothing like the rich tapestry of pinks and marrons and the long flowing tentacles of the pollinators. Those things are not present in the shadow. The shadow is a reflection of the deep feeling of the interior. The darkness that sometimes looms. The hurt that sometimes overshadows the beauty. But the hopefulness of what is happening now and what might be yet to come. Reminders that every day is another day to take those cracked and broken pieces and find something beautiful to share with the world. That’s hope.
Connection
By: MJ Skinner
I used to think the worst thing that happened in my life happened when I was 10, but the reality is there have been a lot of “worst things”. You could say my childhood was a series of traumatic events, and through my youth, I felt at every turn, joy was being sucked from my life. I could never truly enjoy a victory, a good grade, a friendship. I could never truly be happy because I was always in anticipation of the next worst thing.
I learned young that monsters were real. That my value to people was in my usefulness to them. In protection of myself, my body learned early to disassociate. My 4-year-old self could take a physical beating and not feel much pain. My 10-year-old body endured rape and had little recollection of the physical invasion. I can distinctly remember my head disconnecting from my body and floating up to the ceiling, watching the violence below. My mouth without sound. My body without movement.
When I was 12, I tried to get help. I told a friend. She told a school official. My mom was called in. Ultimately nothing was done. It was decided IF it did happen, he must have been drunk. He wasn’t malicious. He was a good dad. There was no reason to break up a family over a possible misunderstanding. So, for the next 5 years, we coexisted. I grew increasingly angry and dark. I ceased to trust. He never raped me again but he made sexual comments when no one was around. He would sometimes brush his hand across my body when he walked by. On two occasions he even passed out drunk in my bed.
My childhood trauma has affected every intimate relationship I have had. Most of my partners were not equipped to handle the realities of hypervigilance, anxiety, insomnia, and triggers (innocuous to them). Added to that are the friends and family who resorted to victim blaming in an attempt to reconcile my story with what they knew of the abuser – what did you do . . . why didn’t you fight back . . . what were you wearing . . . why didn’t you say something . . .
The first 18 years of my life were 100% about surviving. I was able to get my basic needs met and not much else. Happiness was fleeting. I could not sustain joy. I did not trust good things or even believed I was deserving. My happiness relied on my ability to keep people at arm’s length. If I did not let them in, they could not hurt me.
Reclaiming My Joy, Piece by Piece, One Connection at a Time
I cannot rewrite my childhood, nor would I want to. Without those dark times, my ability to recognize and celebrate the joy that surrounds me now would be muted. Connection is my superpower. It allows me to love openly, fiercely, unconditionally, and with abandon. With each connection I make, whether that is in nature or through people, I reclaim the joy that was stolen from me as a child. The more connections I make, the more I am able to connect to the broken little girl I once was and offer healing to her.
Blocked
By: Anonymous
This work represents the space a survivor longed to fill with art, a reflection of her journey. The idea thrilled her, bringing a spark of joy. Yet, each time she picked up a camera to create, it triggered a trauma response. As much as she yearned for creativity, she wasn’t ready— yet.
Hopefully, next time will be different.
beleafsurvivors.org 