Faces of ACEs is a project to create awareness of the adverse childhood events (ACE) Questionnaire, create healing conversations amongst men & learn about the mental health impact of Adverse Childhood events (ACES).
Read My STory - here.
take the questionnaire - HERE
How do aces show up in adults - read here
Link to understanding what aces are and how they impact individuals - Here
Acknowledging, announcing & addressing your struggle is empowering for not just you but others that share the same struggle.
What is your ace score?
What is your trauma response?
How has this impacted your relationships with friends, family & partners?
in 2024 when I was 38 years old, I was diagnosed with complex Post traumatic STress Disorder (CPTSD) stemming from adverse childhood events that i did not realize where negatively impacting my mental health & relationships.
now i am on a journey of acknowledging & addressing my own struggles while creating awareness & conversations with others & taking some photos along the way.
It is not your fault for what happened to you as a child.
It is your responsibility to process the trauma & make the rest of your life the best of your life.
I struggle. you struggle. my family struggles. my friends struggle.
we all struggle.
i don't know who needs to hear this but The best is yet to come.
Say It. Believe It. Make It Happen Daily.
John Holloway - ACE Score of 7
ACE Score of 7
ACE Score of 6
“As the ACE study has shown, child abuse and neglect is the single most preventable cause of mental illness, the single most common cause of drug and alcohol abuse, and a significant contributor to leading causes of death such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and suicide.”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
― Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Link to Bessel A. Van Der Kolk Website (Click Here)
Participants and myself intend to create conversations to inspire men to take the ACE questionnaire, to start the recovery journey & to break the trauma cycle.
Participant involvement includes taking the ace questionnaire, posing for a photo & allowing the photo and score to be shared publicly.
Photo Release Required (download Here).
survive to Thrive Mode Playbook (Download here).
Link to CTS Counseling Center (Click Here).
The seed for this project was unknowingly planted by bob patefield in a interview he did on the Street photography magazine podcast and we connected on having aces along with a desire to create awareness & to cultivate conversations.
The curiosity of the concept for this project stemmed from a conversation with caleb "note" Davis-Barney where he discussed what story can i tell with my photography that is not being told and realized it was my story and other men with aces.
The ambition & potential of the project was amplified by an enlightening conversation with dennis jarrett of the next generation initiative that operates 300 cameras for kids & The Indy Far east magazine to have a significant positive impact on indy.
link to next generation initiative website here