Gardeners
Healing Fairy Tale gardeners share why they got involved and what they hope to plant and harvest within the garden.
Allison Quaid - Convener & Writer & Founder
I started this healing fairy tale project because I want to create stories, illustrations and conversations that are healing and empowering. Writing healing fairy tales has put me in touch with my inner fairy godmother, and helped me to craft loving internal scripts.
I wish I would have read a story as a child that told me that I was good enough and lovable as I was. Instead, scary stories swirled in my mind, imprisoning me in a cruel mental cage. Slowly, I realized I had the keys to open it.
I have been so deeply touched by all those who are participating -this project is a dream come true for me!
(California, USA & Munich, Germany)
Aivi Coutin - Convener
In my native country Sweden, folklore, fairy tales, and nature stories have always been a part of our history. Our culture shaped by Vikings, Norse mythology, and Saami people, has become a part of my DNA. Having had a difficult childhood, it was hard for me to cope with life, an emphatic child, as I was. To heal and purify my wounded soul, I turned to nature for help.
In the forest I discovered the witches boulder where I served edible flowers on mossy plates to the fairies, created sacred funeral ceremonies for birds and squirrels, and discussed my problems with the trolls. As a teenager, Dorothy took me by hand and brought me to the magical land of Oz. There I found my own strength and healed the dark dreams of my broken heart. All through my youth, I played out my own stories with happy endings. While focusing on magic and sacredness, nature nourished me with beauty and wisdom. My wish is to share the magic I have encountered. The Healing Garden project delights my inner child and allows me to release my creative energy.
Nothing thrills me more than to encourage other people in their awakening to their inner nature, realizing the connectedness in all nature. Bringing them into this enchanted place where personal growth and the quest for transformation will allow them to grow into beautiful flowers.
(Lyon, France and Sweden)
Doyinsola Dina - Researcher
The project speaks so much to my heart because I am a woman of like passion who has been healed from past hurts. I have learned to forgive and love again. My challenges strengthened me and served as my success drive in life. Today, I have ticked so many boxes and I am still ticking. I am interested in working with women to push their untold healing stories to the world.
I joined the team as a researcher and during my course of researching the scope of healing stories, I discovered one unique thing about this particular one - Fairytale healing story is a garden waiting to be cultivated. No one has looked into creating such a garden for women. There is a lot of potential in the niche and I look forward to seeing the harvest that comes from the garden in the future. One of the harvests I foresee is the total wellbeing of women's damaged soul and emotion due to hurts. I love to see women liberated, women free as butterflies to pursue their dreams.
(Lagos, Nigeria)
Daisy Njeri - Writer
When I first saw the Healing Fairy Tales Garden, it spoke to me in a way that I had not felt in a long time. I felt empowered to share my story, and to give my take on a fairy tale I wish I had read as a child. Now, in my adulthood, I have come to see that so much of our childhood has a part in how we act. My hope is that I can speak to another girl out there and bring her out of the dark side, helping her inch closer to being her true self.
(Nairobi, Kenya)
Tiana Hodzic - Researcher
I knew I wanted to be a part of this project as soon as I found out about it. There is something truly magical about a space which offers the empowerment to heal ourselves. We all have pain, but being able to transform it into something as beautiful as a fairytale is alchemy. It was clear to me that this garden was created out of an intention of love; I look forward to watching this love spread, inspiring the blooming of our true selves. I am grateful to Allison for pursuing this vision and welcoming me onto the project– it was a delight to work on this creation and an inspiration to continue creating.
(San Diego, California)
Kat Nicholls
I've been writing in the mental health/personal development industry for nearly a decade now, mostly sticking to non-fiction. When I do get the chance however, I love exploring these themes in fictional stories too, so I was excited at the prospect of creating a healing fairy tale. Fantasy and fairy tales aren't a genre I'd tried before so I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I found I loved it. It woke my inner child and gave me an excuse to play again.
I've been on my own personal development journey for quite some time now and the story I wrote certainly drew themes from my experience. I hope those who read it come away feeling more powerful, believing in themselves and knowing that they can go against the norms
Surabhi Arora Suri - Convener & Facilitator
I was a misfit girl who was not girly enough for the world. As a result, I craved alternate narratives to my own story. Even at small age I realized that I had to be my own cheerleader.
After getting involved with the healing fairy tale project, I found that I had the ability in me to help create something someone somewhere could relate to. A story I might have found relatable and a balm to my emotional trauma growing up. This has been a journey of professional as well as emotional growth for me, looking forward to seeing this garden grow!
(New Delhi , India & Toronto, Canada)
Svitlana Holovei - Illustrator
I was always interested in working on projects related to psychology and solving problems in relationships. When I read the description of the story, which I worked on, I realized that it would be very interesting, because at some points in the story I recognized myself.
The story seemed to awaken a child in me and the images were drawn as if by themselves. The magical, but at the same time, such a realistic world of the “Sugar-coated” fairy tale captivated me with every page, and by the end of reading the story I could see several ready-made illustrations in my head. Then it was up to the small thing to translate the images in my head into the illustrations for the story.
I hope you enjoyed this story with a magical plot and pictures just like me. I am very glad that I was able to invest a piece of my work in the creation of the Healing Fairy Tales Garden.
(Ukraine)
Rebecca Duras - Writer
I was drawn to writing a healing fairy tale after reflecting on how much I've changed in the past few years. Like Regina, the main character in my story, I was terrified of the outside world but now live for adventure and exploring new places. Writing a story and treating it with the magic and reverence a fairy tale inspires seemed like the perfect way to honor my healing story. Besides an entertaining fairy tale, I hope my story will offer hope to readers that it is possible to change and believe in yourself despite what others have told you.
(Queens County, United States)
Sarah Yule - Illustrator
I came across Allison’s call for healing fairy tales during lockdown in Lisbon and I decided it was the perfect time to write my first ever fairy tale. I finally had the space and time to get my thoughts and feelings onto paper, which was extremely therapeutic. Whilst writing, I realised there was a lot I wanted to say and the process inspired me to keep writing, and even pursue work in children’s writing. I hope my story adds some wolf magic to the healing garden and encourages people to connect with their inner child. It was a pleasure to be part of this wonderful project!
(Glasgow, United Kingdom)
Alina Adreenko - Illustrator
WHY I GOT INVOLVED: I'm going a long way of healing past traumas and learning self-love, and then the Healing Fairy Tale project introduced me to the concept of an inner-child - I started to learn to listen and care for her. So now I’m very interested in the direction of projects that help other people go this way learning about self-love and compassion. The way of learning to speak to the inner-child.
(Belarus)
Nadine Gartner - Writer & Voice Over
I love the image of a garden of healing - every little seed has the potential to grow, become strong and be part of a play of light, love and beauty. Even if they grow in muddy water or in inconspicuous places, flowers bring light and upmost beauty.
Healing Fairy Tales is so much more than just a website, it is a dream come true, a project of hearts. Healing fairy tales can touch peoples’ hearts. They can change mindsets, viewpoints and perspectives in an almost unnoticed way. Being able to grow seeds in this fairylike project-garden, together with wonderful people, makes me happy and proud. Let’s grow the good seeds together!
(Munich, Germany)
Annie Nguyen
I am an illustration artist on a profound journey to discover my unique artistic voice and share my healing journey. Art has always been my sanctuary, a way to express and navigate the complex emotions that accompany my personal struggles. Recently, while exploring the vast realm of art and its healing potential, I stumbled upon the Healing Fairy Tale website, and it immediately resonated with me. The mission of the project, to spread love, support, and healing through fairytales, deeply touched my heart. I am eager to contribute my illustrations to this remarkable initiative, in hopes of touching the lives of others and fostering a sense of solace and inspiration.
(California, USA)
Aven Harper- Convener & Writer
I am a part-time writer and a long-time lover of fairy tales. Words have power. I knew this, even as an anxious child with an uncertain identity, struggling to see how to fit in this world.
In the process of untangling the complex knots of past trauma, I am learning the language of healing and recovery. As we each walk our own path we find kernels of truth and resilience that help us remember our birthright: our innate wholeness and immense capacity for freedom. The Healing Fairy Tale project is the perfect place to plant these kernels so that they might take root and spring to life in the hearts of suffering people across the world. I am so happy to be part of this.
(Wellington, New Zealand)
Oryslava Knyzhatko - Illustrator
I’m always happy to find new possibilities and I’m so grateful to become a part of this beautiful project. It’s awesome to help each other, to inspire people around, to discover new things and to discover your own world. Healing Fairy Tale Garden is an amazing place where you can find all this and even more!
Every day becomes better when I work with adorable people and I want this garden to become more and more beautiful!
(Ukraine)
Viktoria Lemeshevskaia - Illustrator
I read about the project of illustrating healing fairy tales for an adult's inner child. It immediately touched my soul, because this topic is close to me. I myself am trying to figure out my internal problems, complexes, and fears. Unfortunately, not all women were born in good healthy families. I was not lucky and I grew up in a toxic relationship. I know how hard it is to live if you do not receive proper support from the most important people for you. We ourselves can give ourselves support. We ourselves can support the inner child. Therefore, I want to help people who are faced with the same disaster. This project is a miracle. I am very happy that I am part of it.
(Switzerland)
Sheila Plank - Writer
When I first heard about a project involving healing fairy tales, I just knew I had to be a part of it. Fairy tales and folk tales are as traditional as cooking and pottery and go back just as far in our civilization. Perhaps one reason is that they make perfect vehicles for teaching lessons learned by a wiser generation to the next. They encapsulate a culture’s values and embed rituals into society. By sharing one of my most valuable personal lessons through this project, I hope that I can contribute to a new tradition of self-acceptance in our culture.
(Brownsburg, United Studies)
Bianca Nita - Illustrator
I am a freelance illustrator who chooses projects that have a deeper meaning, purpose and message, this is why creating artwork for this healing fairytale was in perfect alignment with my values and mission. I also love expressing emotion and portraying beautiful characters, another good reason for choosing this project. With Allison's gentle guidance and Sarah's heartwarming text, I am happy to say that I have found resources to deliver the message in a playful, whimsical and uplifting way that I hope people will connect with and be inspired by.
(United Kingdom)
Jane Pendry - Convener and Writer
I am delighted to have been involved in the Healing Fairy Tales Website during its development stages. As a Solution Focused therapist, I know the power of language and storytelling. Our ancestors processed their deepest anxieties and traumas through stories. Traditional folk and fairy tales reach below our conscious, ruminating, intellectual minds, where we try but fail to understand and resolve our pain, fear and anxiety. Stories move us in to a delightful, natural trance where we suspend our disbelief and allow our subconscious minds to integrate and resolve even our deepest traumas. Healing Fairy Stories will prove to be a wonderful resource for healers and those looking for healing.
(Oxford, United Kingdom)
image credit: Victorrocha, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4298814
Mary Achee
I started writing in high school and found out; I had a gift for it. In my senior year, my English teacher spent an entire semester on one of my poems. She had the class use it as a lesson and helped me edit it!
I find that I am much better at expressing myself through written words, rather than spoken ones. Healing Fairy Tales enables me to reach into other people's hearts and make them feel emotions they may not otherwise feel. Through fairy tales; we live our dreams, seek better futures and go to lands not yet traveled. We reach inside our inner most being and come away with hearts filled with joy, surprise and laughter.
(United States)
Image by Chris Iontcheva from Pixabay
Lori Ann de Wet - Convener
I grew up a lost soul Catholic girl who escaped her despair through writing and poetry. The teenage girl created a magical faraway place where voices are heard, dreams grow freely and there is no fear of rejection, judgment, or pain. I spent forty years searching across the globe for my heart and soul, only to discover in South Africa, the little lost girl lived deep inside me all this time.
The invitation to participate in the Healing Garden was my very own yellow brick road that would include a colorful tapestry of women from around the world sharing freely in a safe and dreamlike platform of fairytales. It would be here that I could stand witness to other women's voices, trauma, strength, and healing with a common goal of, dreaming, becoming, and growing in abundant self-love. This is truly my life's passion.
( Cape Town, South Africa)
Louise Van Wyk - Illustrator
Ever since I was little, I would escape life’s bitter harshness through dreaming up pictures that tell a story. I would examine a flower for hours, imagine into the dress of a fairy and then put it to paper. When life dealt me a raw deal, art became my conduit for healing and escape, and for finding who I truly am. Healing Fairy Tales has allowed me the opportunity to put a face to a beautiful, magical story of self-worth, finding freedom from fear and inner peace. I feel so privileged to be part of this, and I hope that my pictures will touch everyone who sees them and reads these stories.
(South Africa)
Sarah Painting- Illustrator
I’m very proud to be working as an illustrator with healing fairytales. I was drawn in by their female uplifting ethos and their use of fairytales to navigate through traumas finding internal strength, peace, growth and closure.
(United Kingdom)
Natalie Chavarri - Illustrator
I was reading about the power of words, and their effect on our mental health, when I received a proposal to illustrate one of the Healing Fairy Tales. I felt instantly connected to the project, and found the stories incredibly inspiring. I felt particularly a strong connection with the story, "Reflected Mercy", where I found a surrealistic and magical touch to it, giving me a big space and opportunity to play around with the illustrative style. It was a pleasure to be part of a growing and loving project, to feel and explore the healing power of words through the stories and illustrate them. I hope the garden of healing grows and may open and touch many new hearts and contribute to many new collaborations.
(Strasbourg, France)
Christy Chung - Researcher
I was first attracted to this project because of the sense of sincerity and community behind its mission to bring people together through the art of writing fairy tales. Never before had I even thought of writing and sharing fairy tales as a form of healing from past or current trauma, but now it seems strange that it never crossed my mind before. The journey of not only developing, writing, and finalizing a personal fairy tale but also sharing it with a community of like-minded individuals has the kind of healing that transcends that of a simple childhood story on its own. It was an immense pleasure and joy to be able to contribute to this project and work with Allison to bring her vision to life. I hope that in the future more and more people can find peace and solace in this community and are moved to write their own healing fairy tales.
(Arizona, USA)
Ranto Tiantsoa
As I like to express my emotions through illustrations, I was attracted to
this project; it helps us heal and learn self-love. I am honored to be part
of this garden, it makes me proud: thinking that I am helping others by
making them explore this garden with inspiring stories makes me happy. I
hope that my work will have a good impact on people and that this garden
will grow beautifully.
(Antananarivo, Madagascar)
Tobi Zausner
Tobi Zausner
© 2023
I live in Midtown Manhattan, a place of sparse greenery. But a few blocks from my home, there is a small vest pocket park with the most beautiful azalea bushes. They make my life so much better and I have written a poem to them.
Poem: Azaleas
Magenta blossoms beautiful
Green leaves beget green leaves
Azaleas sway through the winds of time
Hearing whispers from all eternity
Listen
Listen to the wisdom of the Azaleas