Using illustration To Heal From A 30-Year Family Secret
“Once I learned of my mother's first suicide attempt, I wondered how many other secrets had been kept.”
Margaret Kimball’s childhood felt like a mystery because she never understood the serious mental health conditions that plagued several of her closest loved ones. Margaret only knew she wasn’t supposed to ask questions, and it wasn’t something that was discussed.
One of our own artists, Margaret Kimball, is sharing her personal experience with family mental illness in a new graphic memoir titled And Now I Spill The Family Secrets.
In this beautifully illustrated graphic memoir, Margaret gathers 15 years of research using family interviews, public records, old photos, and home videos to help her family face their secrets and find solace. She hopes her book can help other families do the same and begin to heal.
“Mental illnesses are common in the United States. Nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness (52.9 million in 2020)”, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. In 1949, the U.S. designated May a national Mental Health Month with the purpose of eliminating the stigma of mental illness by raising awareness of mental health conditions and people living with them.
Talking about mental health issues can be uncomfortable, but the more we talk about these conditions, the easier the conversations will become. Margaret believes, “Secrets are another word for shame…. Learning to give language to whatever secret is causing pain is a first step in the healing process.”
Margaret recommends families talk openly as much as possible. The conversations she had with family members for her book gave them all a better understanding of each other and allowed them to say everything they needed in order to find peace.
She strongly encourages seeking professional help and feels therapy is what made the most difference for her. Reading others’ memoirs also helped Margaret understand and process her own emotional journey.
