A journey is all it takes to build a character.
I believe that we all have a journey we must traverse and struggles we must overcome in order to achieve the greatness we dream for ourselves. The length of the path we take varies, but we all could use a bit of help, understanding, and patience, especially from ourselves.
I’m here to share my journey and retrospection along the way, learning and accepting my entire self.
My name is Roxanne and I am a writer, and artist based in California.
I create worlds using both mediums to convey my mental health journey for personal retrospection and as a resource for others who may be going through a similar journey.
I believe in openly discussing the hardships of dealing with depression (and other mental roadblocks) and the ‘hows’ to get on with life. As a self-employed artist, I want to show how it is possible to function.
Why “June”
To commemorate different times in my life, I went for the artist name “Juniper Vela” which has the intended meaning renewed life based on the character of my creation “Juniper Vela Black”.
her story is
my story
Creating Juniper’s existence in the world of the Harry Potter series was like a lifeline. She kept me afloat and helped me continue to love the things that I create.
The story is about a girl’s death and how that came to be her chosen fate.
It had been my chosen fate at one point too.
However, we both come to learn the importance of love.
The three “Junes”
1. June the protagonist of the manhwa, Girl Queen by Kim Yeon-Joo.
2. Juniel of Unda from the Lighting Tree Universe.
3. Juniper Vela Black from my Harry Potter Fanfic, The Tale of the Juniper Tree.
depression
& anxiety
I started reading the Harry Potter series at a time when my life felt like a jumbled mix of things I couldn’t understand. I couldn’t talk to anyone. It quickly became a refuge for me. Along the way, I joined the community head on. Writing and creating grounded me.
I wish as well as everybody else to be perfectly happy, but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.
– Jane Austen; Sense and Sensibility
le voyage
I struggled during my early twenties to define who I am as a person, my beliefs, my dreams, and what I wanted in life. This struggle built up over time, causing more doubt and questions rather than answers.
As a result, I dropped out of college due to the mental gymnastics I was constantly doing, including dealing with impostor syndrome. It was a time when social media was barely budding and no one was there to talk to, no one to feel connected with, in our struggles. I felt alone.
Not knowing who to turn to and where to start, I looked at myself. I didn’t like the reflection facing me, and that’s how my journey to self-love began. It’s how I learned patience, understanding, and sympathy for all that I had gone through.
I continue to appreciate the younger me who withstood when she thought she couldn’t. I applaud her for her perseverance and tenacity. And I hope to impart the pieces of her I strive to nourish.
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