Story of the Alicorn
Illustrated fierce alicorn (a winged unicorn) flies out from behind a horseshoe inscribed with BLM. She has a prosthetic left front leg.
At Positive Space, therapy is rooted in community, not conformity.
When we went through our rebrand, we wanted a way to represent the diversity of our community of clients and therapists.
To create the Forest Friends, each of our team members worked with illustrator King Freddie to provide input on their design. We are so excited to share these illustrations with you, and most of all, we hope you see glimpses of yourself in them.
The Alicorn was inspired by PSC Therapist, Holly Naraine [she/her] Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying).
In this blog post, Holly shares more of the Alicorn's story and the symbols she wanted included in the illustration:
I inherited my love for horses from my grandmother, who introduced me to riding at a young age. We would spend weekends at a ranch in Southwestern Ontario, going for trail rides and taking lessons. I quickly became one of those horsegirls.
I spent a decade of my life away from horses and found myself back in the saddle in my early twenties while at university. Horses have been so instrumental in my physical and mental health, so naturally, I chose an equine as my forest dweller.
Rather than choosing any old horse, I opted for an alicorn; a rare mythical equine that is a nod to my relationship with my younger cousin, but more importantly to myself as a rarity in the equestrian world (being Black and Queer).
When thinking about my alicorn, I knew I wanted her to represent myself (hence the curls in her mane, and the BLM stamp on the horseshoe). If you inspect her closely, she has a prosthetic leg; an intentional detail signalling to folks with disabilities that there is space in the horse world for all abilities and bodies. Horseshoes are thought to symbolize luck and protection in western cultures, often hung to ward off evil spirits and protect the home and people.
Being Caribbean as well, mental health is often contextualized as a symptom of obeah or witchcraft, an “ailment” that requires protection. When clients, Caribbean or not, look at this horseshoe, I want them to know they are entering a space of protection and safety. Not from their diagnosis, rather the harmful cultural beliefs instilling shame around mental health. As a hunter-jumper athlete, it made sense to have her jump through the oversized horseshoe.
My alicorn is a love letter to myself, my grandmother, and to everyone who has ever been the rare pearl in a sea of uniform shells. When you look at her, I want you to feel empowered, regal, beautiful, and accepting of your existence, in all of its uniqueness.
Highlighted Details on the Alicorn
Horseshoe Inscribed with BLM, Black Lives Matter
Prosthetic Front Leg
Holly Naraine [she/her]
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
I am here to bridge the gaps between Blackness, queerness, and mental health care; striving to provide each of my clients with a therapeutic environment where they can be witnessed in safety.
