Disclaimer: If it qualifies for a tax break, a heart break, or a mental break, it may be a part of my work.

How does dishonest harmony affect familial bonds? Through review of connection and conflict in familial and communal archives, I explore the mechanisms that may make or break a family. Contemporary familial archives in my recent work are used to reference conflict avoidance and omission as symptoms of dishonest harmony. My heritage involves more than family traditions and celebrations or connections through ancestry. My heritage encompasses the latent effects of being raised in a household that encouraged omission of identity, beliefs, and “deviant” behaviors for the sake of preserving harmony within the family unit. Contrasting the investigation of dishonest harmony, my research of disabled and queer communities investigates the radical honesty and openness afforded by an “othered” status. Individuals depicted are parts of queer and disabled niche communities and as part of my work I bring attention to the honest connection that is formed through the communication styles encouraged in these spaces.