We recently connected with Wednesdae Reim Ifrach and have shared our conversation below.

Wednesdae, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I spent many of my childhood and teen years writing poetry, painting, and acting; if it was creative, I wanted to do it. Creativity was a safe space where I felt like myself and yet I couldn’t see myself having creativity at the center of my work. I grew up with a lot of self-doubt and felt intense pressure to perform academically. It created this internal idea that my creativity wasn’t a gift to offer the world.

I knew I wanted to pursue helping people, but letting go of the dream of being creative felt painful. This was when I decided to pursue art therapy. I was volunteering at a Domestic Violence shelter, the same one my mother interned at when she was in school for her MSW. I was making art with some of the children and they began to create artwork about being in the shelter. The fear and sadness they experienced and the joy and safety of being in an environment where they could heal and their mothers could too. It was in that moment that I decided I could and would help people and use creativity to do it.

Those children fundamentally changed my life. At that moment, I saw the gift of creative processing and began to pursue art therapy. During the last year of my bachelor’s degree, I took multiple art classes at night at a local community college. Night after night, I took photos, painted, learned 2-D design, pottery, and drawing. At the end of the year, I applied to Albertus Magnus College for their Master in Art Therapy.

I was overwhelmed and flooded with emotions on the day of my interview. My grandmother had gone to school there, and she was deeply missed. Pulling up in front of the library and thinking of her as a young woman brought up so many feelings. I was unsure if I could do the interview. In my interview, the director and founder of the program interviewed me. I became tearful. These women, who reminded me so much of my mother (who was developing early onset dementia) and my grandmother, sat in front of me and allowed me space to see if I could do this. In the elevator, one of them held my hand and whispered, “Don’t worry, you’re in.” and that was it. 13 years later, I’m a practicing art therapist and artist with my own business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My partner and I run Rainbow Recovery, a small family-owned art studio and therapy practice that includes art therapy, reiki, expressive arts, eating disorder treatment, gender-affirming care, and clinical supervision. We also consult with local businesses that are looking to create a more affirming environment that is safer and braver for all humans.

I’m an art therapist, educator, and consultant, as well as an abstract artist. Most of my work revolves around body justice and affirming care. As an artist, I make spiritual and political artwork that addresses social issues around how our culture judges and subjects bodies to oppression. In my clinical work, I love supporting clients in self-discovery through the art process, becoming embodied, trusting their bodies, and learning to be present in the world as bravely as possible.
My consulting and education work serves to help new therapists learn specialized practices in art therapy, eating disorder treatment, and gender-affirming care.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something I’ve had to unlearn is letting my work define me. I worked hard for my career. I chose a field of specialty that many did not understand in a political and cultural climate where bodies are weaponized and commodified, where gender constructs are used to oppress people, and where eating disorders continue to be one of the few mental health issues consistently denied coverage despite how deadly they are. I take these facts very seriously and was so committed to the work that I lost myself. I became incredibly stressed regularly and found myself anxious watching the news, following the bills, and raising money for non-profits. Public event after public event, research article after research article I lost myself, I became resentful and angry.
Once I realized what losing my way was, I pulled back, I came back to my family of choice, the people that showed up when I became sick from the stress, and I recentered myself. I asked myself, when my time on this earth is over do I want people to know me for my work or for my kind heart, the way I make people feel when they’re around me. Do I want to be remembered for my love, the last talk I gave, or the article I wrote?
So here I am, back to me, loving my work, being with family and chosen family, slowly healing the wounds that happen when we put work above all else, and hoping that this can be an example to do what you love but don’t let it define you.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In the last year, I faced being doxed online for being GenderQueer, fat, and doing DEIB work publicly. I was harassed across all social media platforms, my e-mail was hacked, my business account was hacked, and we had to file a police report to get our money back, and people sent nasty emails to our business email and phone. I was scared. People referenced wanting to kill me, and how disgusting my existence was, they encouraged me to kill myself. I could go on, but these facts don’t matter. What mattered was this: I kept my business open, I was public about what was happening to me, I put in all measures to protect myself, and I stepped away from people who didn’t show up and support me.
I make no apologies for being myself. I am who I am, my identity is part of that and there is nothing wrong with me or anyone like me.
I did go off of most social media; I protected and continue to protect my mental health and my family.
And I made one choice with my partner. I’d rather die as who I am then pretend to be someone I’m not because people are hateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rainbow-recovery.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainbow.recovery.ct/?hl=hu
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainbow.recoveryllp/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBpisdpPKiP_vqlLnKad7qA

Image Credits
Photo Of Wednesdae- Megan Wooding Photography Photos of Monument Quilt Credit to The Monument Quilt Project