WE ALL GOT SOMETHING

Art comes to the rescue.

Lindell’s life as a nomad musician/artist who moved from California to Canada and Europe and back again was anything but glamorous. In this graphic memoir, he chronicles how he stopped running from the personal history that fueled his restlessness. The narrative begins with the author, back from a stay in London, at his mother’s house in California. Broke, isolated, and depressed, he accepted an elementary school aide job that his aunt helped him find. Through conversations Lindell has with fellow school aides, his story emerges in edgy, black-and-white comic book–style drawings. Once, he had pursued his dreams of becoming an animator through an internship and later a never-submitted application to graduate school. His failure to act haunted him, as did a near-fatal shooting/car crash that involved both him and his girlfriend. Realizing that there “was a lot of shit [he] needed to resolve,” Lindell made peace with his girlfriend, then began working his way back to art by attending a San Francisco zine fest. A chance encounter with a female illustrator offered the chance of a new relationship. His revelation that he suffered from both bipolar disorder and PTSD—which she accepted without judgment—offers further insight into Lindell’s struggles while revealing the depth of his personal transformation. As it explores loss, vulnerability, and the power of art to heal, this brief but moving book celebrates the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

A candid, heartfelt story of one man’s triumph over his own demons through creative self-expression.