Each painting in the Awakenings Project’s art exhibition speaks to healing, reflection and hope. Among them hangs a self-portrait made by faculty adviser Bruce Sewick’s late daughter, a former College of DuPage (COD) student. By choosing to hang her artwork, Sewick keeps her spirit alive while helping students find their own paths towards recovery and expression. 

“I took the piece and framed it. Never thinking that there would come a day where it would be in an art exhibit with that kind of a statement on her,” Sewick said. 

Sewick’s late daughter’s artwork was in the Awakenings Project art exhibition booklet, under the caption that described her life journey. The caption stated she was a former COD student and teacher in Los Angeles who was beloved. Her mental illness resulted in her taking her own life in 2018. However, she refused to be defined by it. 

“Here is an artist, and had all these roles in her life, a teacher, daughter, an aunt, a friend, an artist and is no longer with us,” Sewick said. “So, you take a moment to reflect on the art and try to understand how someone could reach that point in their life. It’s important to address those things, because talking about it could allow somebody to reframe, to rethink and to choose life over suicide.”

The Awakenings Project COD chapter, a campus club that supports artists living with mental health challenges, hosted an art exhibition from Oct. 20 to Oct. 31 in the Wings Gallery at COD. The gallery displayed paintings, photographs, sculptures and multimedia pieces that explored elements of trauma, healing and hope, similar to Sewick’s daughter’s work. Each was created by someone using art as part of their recovery process.

David Sadkowski, co-president of the Awakenings Project club, used his artwork to document his personal journey of recovery from trauma, he said. One of his pieces was created with a typewriter outlining the brain and was designed to tell a story through repetition and pattern. The repetition and visual form were designed to emphasize the idea that healing is not liner but is possible.

“It was like creating a mantra, reminding myself that healing is possible but also reminding people out there that healing is indeed possible,” Sadkowski said. 

Sadkowski is a participant in the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) program, which prepares individuals with lived experience of mental health or substance use recovery to work as certified professionals helping others through similar paths. Justin Anderson, the founder and co-president of the Awakenings Project, is involved with the CRSS program. He struggled with alcoholism before joining the CRSS program.

“I’m a recovering alcoholic, and there is a correlation between when I quit alcohol, my depression subsided a lot,” Anderson said. “It was the only time I could feel good when I was drinking, and then my depression would go away. But then the next morning, I would feel even worse. I used to be so ashamed that I drank alcohol, but now I wear it on my sleeve.” 

Anderson was a combat medic for the last 20 years, but decided to change the trajectory of his life, he said. He hopes to work with veterans, understanding firsthand the trauma involved with war and recognizing that many veterans struggle with mental illness.

“I had my own peer support specialist when I lived in a veteran building in Los Angeles for 10 years, and the peer support really helped me a lot. So it just became a passion of mine,” Anderson said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to get out of emergency medicine, and I want to get into mental health.’”

To make the program more accessible, COD is one of 11 institutions that offers a grant established through the Illinois’ Cannabis Tax Regulation Act. The grant is specifically designed to go towards mental health education and substance use support. Students looking into the CRSS program can apply for the grant, which helps students cover tuition and material costs associated with the CRSS program. 

“We are helping the field by training them to fill gaps in the field; so it’s much needed,” Sewick said. “It’s a way to immediately address the short. It’s a severe shortage in the field that potentially saves lives and helps people in their recovery.”

The Awakenings Project club continues to offer a space for students to explore creativity and support one another through mental health challenges. Members can use art, writing, and other media to process experiences, reflect on personal growth, and connect with peers who share similar journeys. By fostering both creative expression and community, the club emphasizes healing, resilience, and the importance of peer support. Anderson said his perspective on art has changed since joining.

“Now art is healing to me. I’ve never had that perspective before, but now, when I think of art I think of catharsis,” Anderson said. “It’s actually opened my eyes a lot to how healing art could be.”

The club meets every other Monday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the McAninch Arts Center. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10. All materials are provided for free, and students are encouraged to join, create and share in a supportive environment that values mental health and self-expression.

“If anybody is struggling in college, if they’re stressed out, you can even come and study while we do art. I will just encourage anyone to come and see that there is a community of people that really care about you,” Anderson said. “Our goal is just to get as many people as we can and just build a community and heal together.”