Thank you, Hal Pepinsky, JD

Tomorrow I take off for Indiana as I have twice a year for the past eight years. I will be going to see my friend Hal Pepinsky. He is a professor at Indiana University in the Criminal Justice Department. In 2000, Hal asked me to come present my story of abuse to his classes, one a sophomore and junior class of 200-300 students, and the other a senior and graduate seminar of 25-35 students.

At first, I told my story and showed the artwork I'd done in my process of healing. Many of the students heard and saw things they never imagined would take place in these United States. And few could imagine that the government and military would participate in the abuse. This was a forum for me to grow, heal and be heard, as well as develop a friendship with Hal.

Hal's thrust is making peace, both within the criminal justice system and within ourselves. The students appreciate his methods because they too can be heard without threat of lowering grades. They have the right to their opinions and feel free to express them. They are asked to share their reactions to the presenters that Hal brings into the classroom.

From that first year til now, I have been gratified by the students reactions as expressed both in person and through a University network which they all share. My process also changed over the years, from an urgency to tell my story, to sharing my hope for the future...a hope I was not sure I would ever have. But each time I spoke, I grew. The demons that had haunted me in my childhood and caused me to split (become multiple) had less and less power. They diminished.

For this I am so grateful that I met Hal and that he felt I would be a good source of inspiration to his students. Now it is with sadness that I say that Hal is retiring this year and I won't be making the trip to Indiana anymore...either to see my friend or to speak to his students. He is moving on, but not out of my life. I can't imagine not having my friend email me and sign it l&p (love and peace). Thank you, Hal.

PS. I'm interested in speaking to other groups, both as an educator and as an inspirational speaker. Please contact me if you have an interest in what I have to say.

Sign and Date Your Work

As I moved through my healing process, I used many methods to express what my alters were feeling, fearing and thinking. We used paints (acrylic, watercolor, finger paints), clay, crayons (the really big ones), pastels, journaling, mapping and collage. At any given time, there might be four easels set up in my art area, with four distinct pictures being created with both my right and left hands. The handwriting in my journals would change as each alter took their turns writing. The relationships among the alters were shown in the changes in the maps we drew.

I felt from the beginning that I needed to sign and date every entry, every piece of art, anything that had to do with my process. That way I could look back and see the progress I had made. This habit became a real asset when I began doing public presentations because I used them to explain the process graphically and chronologically. By showing the changes in the art and writing, listeners could travel through my process with me and see first hand what it was like being multiple. It gave them an appreciation of my life that they wouldn't have had otherwise.

I lived in St. Petersburg, Florida at one time, and my partner helped me sort all of the art by the dates. This was a daunting process because there are hundreds of pieces of art all referring to some part of an alter's memory. I've included many of them in my two books (Diary of A Survivor in Art And Poetry, and the second, more comprehensive book, which is not yet on the market). I'm very grateful to my partner for caring and taking the time to help me with that task.

I encourage you, whether you are just journaling, or going through a major healing process, to date each piece of work you do. Maybe even add the place you were to refresh your memory as time passes. You too will be amazed at the progress you make.

More later,
deJoly