Episode Description
Some people find art. Others are found by it.
Julia Mes had never made art in her life — until about a year and a half ago, when a stone-dotting workshop and a YouTube rabbit hole into neurographic art opened something she didn’t expect. Parts of her system turned out to be artists. Others are still not so sure. And one part has been loudly, clearly stating for months: “I am not an artist.” No further information.
In this conversation, we explore what it looks like when creativity becomes a language between parts, how system mapping evolved from a spreadsheet to a 42-page Google Doc to a park in a shoebox to hand-painted stones. We also move into something rarely discussed: intergenerational trauma, the concept of the “Grandchildren of War,” and what it means to carry images that may belong to another generation entirely.
This one is quiet, honest, and really beautiful.
Inside This Conversation
• When parts disagree about who you are — including one who is very clear: “I am not an artist”
• System mapping as an evolving, tactile, annual practice
• Neurographic art as an unexpected tool for internal communication
• Late discovery, menopause, and the energy that was keeping things submerged
• Growing up in Germany as a grandchild of the Second World War
• Holding images that feel like memory — but may not be yours
• What the messy, funny, sometimes devastating day-to-day looks like
⏱️ Timestamps
00:55 – Introducing Julia and her system
07:43 – How the artistic practice began — by accident
14:04 – When not everyone in the system wants to be an artist
23:01 – System mapping: from spreadsheet to painted stones
32:07 – Finding out you’re a system in your late 40s
34:46 – Menopause, DID, and the energy that kept things submerged
42:54 – Grandchildren of War: intergenerational trauma and the German context
56:54 – The messy middle — desperate days, dark moments, and laughing because it’s so sad
01:02:17 – What Julia wants listeners to take away
If you’ve ever struggled to put your internal experience into words — Julia has an invitation: grab a piece of paper and a Sharpie, write “there is no way to do this wrong,” and see what happens.
Resources
Julia by Mes — juliabymes.com
Instagram: @juliabymes
For more resources visit: healingmyparts.org
Healing My Parts Substack — healingmyparts.substack.com
@healingmyparts on Instagram
Thank you for listening! 🩷🫶💜
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