Inner Demons

Jillian Cote

Participating in the Hear/d Residency has been the best choice I could have made in my first year of University. After taking five years off of school to recover from depression, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle it and my mental health would crumble again. These weekly meetings were truly a highlight of my busy schedule, filled with care and support from our mentors and my peers.

This residency gave me the opportunity outside of class to explore new ideas and mediums that I’d always wanted to try. It was daunting, creating a huge piece to be shown in a gallery, and I was tempted to play it safe and stick to what I know. My peers pushed me to take risks and cheered me on every step of the way. Thanks to them I have more confidence in my ideas, and the skills to make them a reality

After Covid-19 forced us to quarantine for our own safety and cancelled all of our plans, we stuck together and continued our weekly meetings over video. The welcoming, non-judgemental space we’ve built has allowed me to reaffirm my own strength and resilience in the face of adversity, both as an artist and as an individual. I feel that the connections I’ve made through this residency will last through the rest of my education, if not longer.