Single-layer woodcut. 6 x 8 inches (Image) 8 x 10 inches (Sheet).

This original fine art print was created by hand carving a block of wood and inking, using oil-based ink. 20 impressions were pulled by hand from this woodblock in Nikki’s studio in Seattle, WA.

My best friends and I have been talking so much these past few years on how we see our own impact in the world. What is it we do that actually makes a difference and why? For me, it’s: sharing my story; focusing on person-to-person relations; not spreading myself too thin; and remembering that art matters.

Niko, Troy, Jesse, and I all brainstormed how we could contribute our individual (and very different) skills to a common goal and arrived at the Black Swan Project. Black Swans are rarely seen in the wild, to the point where many say they don’t exist. The same is often true for people of color who are told their traumas are not real. For us, seeing a Black Swan represents the beauty of acknowledging this trauma and moving from a place of invisibility or shame to a place of empowerment.

Our goals for the Black Swan Project are:

• To destigmatize trauma-informed therapy, centering BIPOC and multiracial/mixed communities

• Activating artistic expression to share information across communities of different interests and means of income

• Recognize necessity and efficacy of mutual aid at the community level

To start off our project, we plan to raise money for Haymarket Pole Collective (HMPC) through the sale of a limited edition of woodcut prints. 80% of profits will be donated to HMPC (20% covers material fees). HMPC is an organization of s3x workers for s3x workers, focusing on advocating for safe and equitable home--and workspaces for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and or LGBTQIA2S+ s3x workers. The collective is currently piloting a program where they match pre-vetted s3x worker allied QTBIPOC clinicians with s3x workers of color and provide free therapy services for one year.