Artist, Writer and Performer

Do you want to experience the liberating power of radical self-reflection?

As a solo performance artist I “tell on myself” with compassion, humor, and wisdom, revealing human vulnerabilities to grow connection and compassion (empathy) between us. I model this approach — revealing the underbelly like extending an open hand — by willingly looking at my own faults, mistakes, and shortcomings. I’m willing to share what I discover – the humor, the pain, the banal, and the bright. By modeling this, I invite others to do the same, first to themselves and then perhaps with the rest of us. I started this work to overcome an inhibition about public speaking and discovered that by sharing the very thing I fear, I actually became closer to people and wasn’t shunned, as I feared I would be. This kind of radical self-reflection creates bridges rather than barriers based on old beliefs. In 2019, I performed my first full length show, “Borderline,” throughout the United States, Canada, and Ireland. My next show, “No Wonder,” was an inquiry into my sexual identity and evolution. It was set to open in San Francisco in April 2020. Since that show was never completed, I transitioned to a writing and drawing and created a visual memoir. Currently I am working on a second book that will dive more deeply into some of the content that I explored in “No Wonder” and the larger context around that work which became a more compelling story about creative liberation.

New Work

I started writing my first book in 2021 as part of a writing program called Draft with authors Pam Houston, Josh Mohr and Samantha Dunn. That two year commitment to create and revise a book resulted in … a book! I wrote a visual memoir which is a combination of about 30,000 words of text and 125 full page drawings. After years of creating work to be performed on a stage, it was a surprising pleasure to take on a different medium. The book, There Are Worse Things Than Being Alone is about the experience of losing one of my primary relationships and some others. The title comes from the only relationship advice my mother ever gave me.

Now I am in the process of getting the book published. Through some luck and good connections and determination, I have a literary agent. I am thrilled to be represented by Darhansoff and Verrill Literary Agents. May you soon hold a copy in your hands.

Past Shows

Past Work

Writings and Drawings

Julie’s drawings and zines have been chosen for the 2025 LDC Comics Festival in the UK.

See more on instagram: @mapthemind and @juliegiesekesoloperformer