ABOUT CLARENCE VOY
Hello, I'm Clarence​
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I create art in many forms! I pull from my deep sense of intuition to create representations of pain and healing.
I offer understanding, connection, truth. I am here to point at the feelings that have no names.
Lately I've been interested in sculpting, though my love will always belong to a ball point pen for its permanence. I've worked as a scenic painter and carpenter, taught students, done touch up work for a circus, run my own freelance mural business, walked the plank over a tank of piranhas, sculpted realistic models of animals that are touched by excited children every day.
As an artist, I aim to create honest artwork that celebrates humanness and tells a story of ownership. My artwork is known for its highly detailed shading and occasionally bold, playful use of color!
I really care about people, and I really believe in the power of healing.
I believe that everyone can change, even you.
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All are welcome, especially the marginalized, the oppressed, the hurting, the healing, the shining souls who endure and choose to spread love instead of hate.
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Photo by Kachi Mozie
Books
I read that help me grow
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
by Lindsay C Gibsen, PsyD
This book was key to opening my inner eye. Instead of focusing on why(?!) my parents/family/peers acted and act the way they do, I can find peace in knowing it's not personal. It also helps me see where I need emotional growth.
Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN
by Tara Brach
RAIN is a practice first introduced to me by my lovely therapist. It stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture. These steps are asked in succession in order to recognize what it is I am feeling, I allow myself permission to feel it, I investigate what the feeling needs, and then can nurture it by either providing the need myself or asking another to help me. As someone who struggles to even recognize my emotions in the moment, this book is critical and I return to it often.
Radical Acceptance: EMbracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha
by Tara Brach
Another book by Tara Brach, this one should be read (in my opion) after Radical Compassion. This is good hard work. Several negative self beliefs were uncovered by the questions asked, and worked through with patience and time. I found myself journaling a lot alongside this book just to work through my thoughts on paper -which helps.
Letting go
by David R Hawkins, MD, PhD
I love this book for the way it talks about emotions as levels of energy. Apathy is at the lowest point all the way through to Peace at the highest level of energy. The way that the emotions are described allows me to feel them (seemingly stored up in hidden pockets of my body!) before analyzing the feelings and moving onward and upward. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with feeling low. It asks tough questions that deserve thought and time.
There are also some outdated references and gender roles, I chose to be annoyed but push through -you may not feel that way and I respect that.
We Do This Til We Free Us
By Mariame Kaba
I was recommended this book by a man working at Taco Bell, so of course it opened my mind and changed my perspective on life. I'm grateful for the challenges posed and questions asked, facts and lived experience shared. There has to be another way we approach punishment, because the prison industrial complex is Not It.
Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life
By Christie Tate
This author describes her heart as smooth, as though nothing can stick to it. Her journey toward a more accepting and open heart resonated with me when I first started healing. This was my first look into what group therapy is like, and it encouraged me to try without as much fear.
Revolutionary Suicide
By Huey P Newton
This book will take you through the life of Huey Newton, the leader of the Black Panthers. His story is inspiring and relatable, he is a man driven and aware. He speaks on revolutionary work being suicidal, as a choice, because it is a well known fact that being black and being outspoken in America will get you killed. He chose to fight against oppression and injustice until his death. I feel there is a lot to learn from the perspective of someone so selfless and clever advocating for the people.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
By Bessel van der Kolk, MD
The first time I tried to read this book I couldn't make it through the first chapter. I found it so dry I turned to an audiobook that I could listen to at work. I don't recommend this, as the topics discussed casually and in great detail brought me to tears often. However! This is the first piece of media that I felt actually 'got it right'. There is no shying away from uncomfortable topics, there is no pausing between gut punches. I needed this kind of intensity to feel seen. I think it has the capability to re-traumatize so I highly recommend working with a therapist as you read and taking breaks to come back to your center. It has great information on the science behind trauma and ptsd, how neural pathways are wired and chemical responses are activated. If you know someone who experiences ptsd or cptsd, please do them a favor, read or listen to this book.
Nonviolent Communication
By Marshall Rosenberg
This book reads as a methodical guide to shifting communication toward peace and understanding. We are asked to take responsibility for our feelings, actions, and the way we move through the world.
It Works How and Why: The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous
I have never been to AA or NA, but I picked this book up in a used bookstore because it had notes written in the margins that I wanted to examine. It turns out, wether or not you turn to substances for help/relief, this book rings the bells. There is a spiritual element that I've always seen represented as a Christian 'god' in media. Through reading Tara Brach's books, I could hear the message of spirituality as a connection to something more like ....a great energy that connects all living beings simply because we live and experience life. That's my version of god. You can borrow it if you want. The point is, feeling connected to life helps fill a void I've always felt.
This book will connect you to yourself and to life.
Teaching to Transgress
By Bell Hooks
I want to point out that any great and genuinely progressive ideas for a better future are coming from the minds of black people. In this book, we are asked to imagine a different way of teaching (and learning!) that feels more respectful, engaging, and inclusive in the sense that minds are not only 'taught' they are seen. I find this way of thinking to be incredibly inspiring and thoughtful, it gives lived experience the credit it deserves. I feel the drive to help others in the ways I am attempting comes directly from reading these words. If you call yourself a feminist, this should be top of your list (especially if you're a white woman).
The Ethical Stripper: Sex, Work, and Labour Rights in the Night Time Economy
By Stacey Clare
I think everyone should read this book. The voices of sex workers have gone unheard for a very long time, arguably by design. This book is packed with valuable lived experience, it confronts common misconceptions, and calls for advocacy. This book changed the way I perceive sex work but also women's rights in general, it is another must read for feminists. We should all be tapped into the treatment of sex workers and their rights; it is beyond clear to me that decriminalizing the work of consenting adults is the way to protect and help these individuals.
How to Love
By Thich Nhat Hanh
Every word is written carefully and with thought. I come back to this short piece of wisdom when I feel my heart is closed and my world is small.
Help Me
When you need help, start here.
Remember angel, you are not alone with these feelings. When you can't hold on, let someone hold on to you.
I've used a couple of these resources and felt the person on the other end was knowledgable, down to earth and kind.
Help Others
When you feel alone, like nothing matters, or that that the world is full of hate and hurt: help someone else.
For the Gworls
Donate money to a rent and medical bill fund for black trans people -helping one of the most underserved communities keep serving
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Find a list of advocacy groups for people with disabilities created by Shirley Ryan -where clinicians and scientists work together to apply real-time research to patient care
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Midwest Immigration Bond Fund
The Midwest Immigration Bond Fund facilitates a revolving immigration bond fund to pay immigration bonds that frees individuals from ICE custody and gathers community to advocate for the abolition of immigration detention and surveillance
BEAM
BEAM offers training courses that will help you help others in mental crisis, build circles of community, and take action against hate
Anti Racism Project
The anti-Racism Project offers an eight week course, mini workshops, and professional development classes for anyone interested in growing their anti racism toolkit. Their website also offers a comprehensive list of books, articles, media and more resources
Sex Workers Outreach Program
Sex Workers Outreach Project Chicago is a Black-led, grassroots organization dedicated to providing direct aid and advocacy for anyone working in the sex industry. They offer outreach, legal aid, housing, education and opportunities for activism
Feeding America
Donate money or volunteer your time at a local food pantry -its good work and it will connect you with people who genuinely care about humans
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Beyond Legal Aid
Want to be an activist? Start here. Beyond Legal Aid unites lawyers and activists in a collaborative pursuit for justice by leveraging legal services to benefit the most marginalized communities and individuals
ICE Activity Tracker
You can donate, log ICE activity, access resources and legal help that can be shared with your community