The Multiple Journals, by Judy Castelli (autobio art/writing, 1994-6)

[lb_lee]

"We are our own mother.

We hold you and rock you, Children.  We speak softly~ words of love and comfort.

What you did not get, we will  try to give you now.

We will be for you what was never yours.  
If we do not have it,  we will find for you.
You will have what you need.~ 
needed then~need now.

We are willing.  You will not be deprived this time."

Blurb: Art and text taken from the journals of a multiple, right as she got diagnosed and decided that she would get to know herselves and love herselves unconditionally.

Why is it worth your time?: I discovered Judy Castelli on page 44 of Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians. Her photograph from 1978 (fifteen years before she finally got diagnosed) called her an "artist, singer and songwriter," quoted her as saying, "My official diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia," and showed her image reflected in a mirror, surrounded by paintings of people with multiple faces. Naturally, I smelled multi, and I was right: once diagnosed, she went public, published a book based on these journals and a DID journaling kit (the password is "hope"), released a CD album (including her '70s single, "Crazy Lady"), sculpted in stone and stained glass, and became a lay founder of and board member of The NYSSMP&D (New York Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation.) What an amazing life, and yet I had never heard of her until that photo book!

But anyway, her journals are clear and simple, her art simple and clear, and it's free to read. What have you got to lose?

Plural Tags: abuse intermediate focus, memory work, children, nonhumans (the angel Gabriel), family and teamwork relationships, medical, voices

Content Warnings: Non-graphic discussion of child abuse, depression, self-harm and suicidal urges, all with content warning on "Born of Despair and Loneliness." I didn't find it a hard read. Also, this is from a medical MPD/DID perspective, so the terms "alters," "parts," and so on are used. There is also some Christianity.

Access Notes: Roughly twenty short installments, which far as I can tell can be read in any order. Not useable alt text, unfortunately, but miraculously, the whole thing with the sole exception of the image of Gabriel and Mashed Potato Mountain, has been saved by the Wayback Machine, which is the only way to view it online now. It also apparently inspired a book, Looking Inside: Life Lessons from a Multiple Personality in Pictures and Words, which is still available in ebook and print forms.

Start reading it here!

Misc Notes: Though all the installments were archived (even the images, except for the one on Gabriel's page and the one on Mashed Potato Mountain), there's just enough link rot to make going through a little tricky, so here are all the entries (in order of click-through):
1. I Am Lost
16. It is All There Is.
2. The Leap
3. In My Heart
14. Born of Despair and Loneliness
8. Spring
9. Long Way to Go
11. It Is a Sad Time
12. Silence No More
17. This child can never be held enough.
18. I am Gabriel
19. The Bigness of Knowing
20. A Simple Thing
21. Mashed Potato Mountain
22. End

There are also some installments that seem to not be on the click-through, which nonetheless exist, so here are those:
4. Out of Chaos
5. Family
6. From Hardship to the Stars
7. And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
10. Where am I going?
13. The Rhythm of My Life
15. I Will Not Survive the Night (a conversation inside)

See also: her art gallery (mostly stained glass), which is also very multi!

Out of Chaos, by Judy Castelli (autobio stained glass/writing, 1995)

[lb_lee]

"ARE YOU MY MOMMY?

-I am big enough to love you like you need--needed from your mommy.

WHO ARE YOU REALLY?

-I am Judy.  Big Judy.  There are many of us.  We all will take care of you."

Blurb: A stained glass work and tiny story about being the love you needed as a child.

Why is it worth your time?: It's short, sweet, and free.

I discovered Judy Castelli on page 44 of Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians. Her photograph from 1978 (fifteen years before she finally got diagnosed) called her an "artist, singer and songwriter," quoted her as saying, "My official diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia," and showed her image reflected in a mirror, surrounded by paintings of people with multiple faces. Naturally, I smelled multi, and I was right: once diagnosed, she went public, published a book based on these journals and a DID journaling kit (the password is "hope"), released a CD album (including her '70s single, "Crazy Lady"), sculpted in stone and stained glass, and became a lay founder of and board member of The NYSSMP&D (New York Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation.) What an amazing life, and yet I had never heard of her until that photo book!

Plural Tags: plural creator, abuse not mentioned, children, otherworld, family relationships, medical

Content Warnings: None.

Access Notes: Free to read online. Image is not screenreadable, so here is my description right here: a vibrant stained glass piece of a large, whitish-red figure (seemingly bloodstained), gathering up small, variously colored childlike figures in her great arms. The background is a flaming hellish red, but it's increasingly surrounded by trapezoids of white, green, and blue, like steps or buildings, and the large figure's body language is gentle. The children's range from curious to playful to entreating.

Misc Notes: See it free here!

The Wonder of It All, by Judy Castelli (personal stained glass, 1999)

[lb_lee]

"We are Many - More than an Army. We count on it - Strength in Numbers."

Blurb: A stained glass work of the inner people of an MPD/DID multiple reaching towards the sun.

Why is it worth your time?: It's a beautiful, powerful piece, free to view.

I discovered Judy Castelli on page 44 of Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians. Her photograph from 1978 (fifteen years before she finally got diagnosed) called her an "artist, singer and songwriter," quoted her as saying, "My official diagnosis is paranoid schizophrenia," and showed her image reflected in a mirror, surrounded by paintings of people with multiple faces. Naturally, I smelled multi, and I was right: once diagnosed, she went public, published a book based on these journals and a DID journaling kit (the password is "hope"), released a CD album (including her '70s single, "Crazy Lady"), sculpted in stone and stained glass, and became a lay founder of and board member of The NYSSMP&D (New York Society for the Study of Multiple Personality and Dissociation.) What an amazing life, and yet I had never heard of her until that photo book!

Plural Tags: plural creator, abuse not mentioned, children, teamwork, otherworld, medical

Content Warnings: None.

Access Notes: Archived online. Image is not screenreadable, so here is my description right here: a striving stained glass piece of many figures, big and small, in pink, gold, and green, joining together and carrying each other to form a single greater silhouette reaching joyously towards the sun, a vibrant magenta sky behind them.

Misc Notes: See it free here!