When in April of 2011 I lost my mother to breast cancer, I also lost my way. Perseverance and a never give up attitude is certainly something I learned from my Italian American upbringing as well as a love of writing, reading books and the arts. Navigating the grieving process, I turned to writing as a healing tool. I started simply. I would wake in the morning and read from a book that resonated with me.

I was taught from a young age that women were meant to be quiet and pleasant, never loud or angry. When I reached college, I encountered men who took advantage of that mindset and of my naivety. I soon found other women who shared those experiences and felt a similar sense of frustration towards the narrative expected of women.

The MeToo Art Project launched October 2017 and is designed to (1) give survivors of sexual violence another vehicle by which to speak their truth about their experience, (2) be a means by which to hold perpetrators accountable, (3) raise awareness of the epidemic of sexual harassment and assault, and (4) be a means by which solidarity is shown- without regard to gender- with and to those who have experienced this type of life-altering attack.