Having experienced maternal depression and anxiety while I was pregnant with Oliver, I am always looking for opportunities to connect with other mothers who have made it through or are currently struggling. Last year, I attended Shades of You, Shades of Me (SOYSOM) Multicultural Maternal Mental Health Conference and was blown away by the presenters at this first-year event. This was not your average networking and listening conference – attendees were given the opportunity to create, discuss, reflect, and feel without judgement.

One session on infant loss and infertility flooded me with emotions I didn’t know I had been avoiding for the past couple years. My husband, Jason, and I had always planned on having two children; however, after he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition and needed a bone marrow transplant in 2018, we decided it was for the best not to have a second child. Until then, I had never considered the second child that would never be as a loss. Sitting in that conference room, with space to reflect and write about the daughter I would never have, I was surprised by my flood of unstoppable tears and surrounded by supportive women who were there to hold me up and validate my experience.

I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to SOYSOM this year by reimagining their beautiful logo in watercolor and working with their marketing team to provide a softer, transparent watercolor aesthetic across the brand.

Mark your calendars from October 22-24 for this year’s virtual conference. If you are a parent; mental health or women’s health professional; or advocate, you won’t want to miss it.