Regrowth
A number of panels in the book contain notebooks with Forney’s own drawings in them. These panels both propel Forney’s story and interrupt it, reminding us of the author’s creative process.
A series of images of bare, leafless trees chronicles her attempts to represent her inner emotional state. There is relief in documenting these wintry scenes, of “catching,” them, Forney writes. “I soon learned to keep drawing until I really nailed my feelings down. I didn’t get nearly the same relief if I only came close.” Forney locates her creativity in her commitment to documenting her inner state. Her drafting choices at a linear level offer vital insight into the relationship between mental illness, therapeutics, and imagination.