Prospecting A Greater Connection

I have created a template of a graphic novel that is iterative and emergent as a process, building on themes of storytelling, coming-of-age, and introspective explorations. It is a blending of two stories. The first is a personal interpretation of a tale of a lost 1920s prospector abducted by a Sasquatch on the west coast of British Colombia. This was first told to me by my late mother, but it’s based on local lore. The second story is a series of autobiographical vignettes, based on personal histories and experiences that I had written about in my journal. The two stories were then interwoven in a single document because I see them as connected; there is a poetic connection with these stories, with overlapping themes of coming-of-age as a settler within small town Western Canada and eventually the far Sunshine Coast region near Lund, BC. These connections arose as part of an investigation into self and positionality as a broader part of the Emily Carr MFA program. I offer stories from the viewpoint of a 41-year-old, Caucasian male currently living in Port Alberni, BC. I have been grappling with growing up in Western Canada, navigating my family and my surroundings, and considering how my artwork and writing can add to reconciliation within my life and those Indigenous communities on whose territory I currently live. This project has pushed me to explore various life experiences with openness and vulnerability. Although not yet completed in final form, it is my intent that this work will eventually add a new individualized viewpoint challenging existing colonialist perspectives, such as those I grew up with.