Alice’s, also known as Heather Ogburn Stokes’s, Vision
“When I think about Alice in Wonderland, I think about a whimsical world full of mystery and chaos but I also think about a lost little girl who never gives up. She is on a mission to find herself and nothing is impossible. Every twist and turn is a new path in life and even the Cheshire Cat says, “Every adventure begins with the first step.” To me this is the perfect depiction of what it’s like to fall down the rabbit hole of addiction and it tells the story of a lost little girl who musters up the bravery and strength to fight her way to the light and find out who she really is! This story reminds me a lot of me. I was lost and never knew who I was and who I wanted to be… never feeling good enough and always trying to prove myself especially to my family. When Alice wakes up from a dream like state, searching for answers, she finds the white rabbit. She ends up falling down the rabbit hole, the rabbit hole of addiction. Any addict/alcoholic can relate to this feeling. As Alice gets up, trying to find her way, she comes to the table with substances that caught her attention. “Drink me, Eat me”. She consumes these and the pain and worry melt away. The film shows the dark and twisted paths addiction can lead to, ridden with guilt and shame along the way. Alice wakes up in unfamiliar places with chaos all around and people who are glamorized yet consumed with confusion of addiction trying to pull her down deeper. She runs and fights for her life battling her own demons. The moment she surrenders and reaches out for help, she finds herself in the Light of Recovery. ‘I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.’ -Alice
Alice overcomes the darkness because she never gives up and was openminded enough to believe that nothing is impossible. She is willing to go to any lengths on her journey, and be honest with herself and others along the way.
I created this piece because I wanted to grab your attention and really be relatable. You can speak very clearly to someone through film before they even realize they are ready to talk. I want people to know that we have lived through the darkness and made our way to the light. “Alice” wanted to create a safe place for the other lost individuals sick and suffering to find peace, serenity and recovery. As the Mad Hatter said, ‘We are all mad here, but I’ll tell you a little secret. All the best people are.’ “
