Meet Kat Wesely, Exploring the Intersection of Creativity and Mental Health in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

"Every moment taken to pay attention to the world around you counts."

I’m participating in Dressember to raise awareness about human trafficking through the lens of how the issue relates to art and mental health. I’m interviewing participants on the topic throughout the month. Learn more here.

Not interested? You can keep all other posts but opt out of Dressember posts here.

On the other hand, if you love this work, consider a paid subscription. I am donating ten percent of all December Substack income to Dressember. PLUS, for every five new annual subscriptions this month, I’m immediately subscribing to another Substacker to support other creatives writing about art and mental health.

What does Dressember mean to you? Why are you participating this year?

Dressember is an opportunity to use my voice to do something good. The injustice of human trafficking is something we can all take a part in combating and I love the opportunity through Dressember to join a community to fight against it. I am participating this year as I've seen the good that has come from advocating through this movement and want to continue to do so.

Have you participated in the past? If so, what have the best parts and the most challenging parts been?

Yes! This my 8th year participating in Dressember.

I think one of the best parts I've been able to experience has been successful matches during the donation matching days. Last year, a group of my colleagues sat with me and we all donated together at the same time and EACH of them were matched! We raised so much money and I felt such exuberance from that and grateful for my community supporting the cause as well as me.

One of the most challenging parts is actually living out the commitment to wear the dress each day. One year I literally had dreams about jeans. 😂 Getting up each day, putting on the dress, and then also posting about it definitely is a challenge but how blessed are we that it is the burden we carry.

What does "mental health" mean to you? How does it relate to your own life and/or your understanding of the Dressember cause?

To me, mental health is how you are doing psychologically and emotionally. Mental health has the possibility of being ever-changing. When you are struggling, this brings hope because things can get better! I think everyone has their own mental health journey and I've had some experiences with my mental health that have greatly impacted me as a person, as a wife, as a mother, as a friend, as a coworker, etc.

Knowing how deeply experiences can impact our mental health, it shows me how important it is for us to help support survivors of human trafficking in their mental health journeys! I'm so glad to know a portion of our funds raised go towards providing services to support survivors.

In what ways does Dressember allow you to express yourself creatively while raising awareness and funds?

Dressember allows me to express myself with what I wear and have a platform that helps people pay attention to what I'm wearing. I am definitely more intentional with my wardrobe during December than most months!

I also am able to use my love for writing to share information, stories, etc. as I raise awareness and funds. I experience great joy from writing posts that I'm hoping will be very impactful for those who take the time to read them.

In what other ways do you think creativity and mental health intersect through the Dressember project?

For myself personally, I've seen creativity and mental health intersect in the way I approach Dressember. During Dressember in 2020 I had COVID and though I wore the dress each day, my posts didn't always include pictures of myself which is not my norm. During Dressember in 2022, I was experiencing pretty severe postpartum depression and anxiety and so when I had episodes of that I was absolutely "going through the motions" of posting about Dressember and human trafficking. I think we are able to see the strength we have in still showing up when the going gets tough for us. I am proud to look back and see that while I struggled, I was able to recognize that I'm not the only one and did what I could to support those individuals and myself.

What is the aspect of Dressember's cause that you most want to highlight?

I think the idea of DOING something! Whether it is through Dressember or another avenue of supporting other human beings. We are all able to DO something. For Dressember specifically, there are so many ways to be involved in combating human trafficking--whether that is participating in Dressember, in making a financial donation, of googling information about human trafficking to educate ourselves, etc. Each person has the opportunity to take whatever steps they can to be a part of change.

What do you wish people knew about human trafficking that you suspect most people don't know?

I think people do not always realize the impact they can make. Every cent counts. Every conversation counts. Every choice to shop more ethically counts. Every moment taken to pay attention to the world around you counts.

In your own words, how does wearing a dress every day for a month make a difference?

Wearing a dress every day catches people's attention, especially when it isn't the norm for someone. Wearing a dress is a conversation starter and a way to tangibly and visually show people that you are advocating for something.

What do you want people to know about your specific fundraising team and goal?

I am fundraising individually, but I also have incredible women in my life who are also fundraising and I would love to share their links, too:

Check out: Amy and Jenna

I always struggle with setting fundraising goals because I have a fear of not reaching it. Honestly, I think that is a challenge I experience--making Dressember about me. I do not want to set my goal too high, because I fear the "failure" of not reaching it. My goal this year is $2,500 and though I have surpassed that amount in the past, I am taking a leap of faith in setting it that high this year. I hope to reach and ideally surpass my goal, but I also need to work on focusing more than just the amount that comes in.

What else do you want to make sure people know about the Dressember cause?

Though Dressember occurs in the month of December--we do not have to wait until December to make a difference. I hope people continuously make choices throughout the year that support the abolition of modern-day slavery and support the victims and survivors of human trafficking.

Tell us a little bit about creativity, mental health, and/or the way that they intersect in your own life (outside of Dressember stuff) ...

I work in the human services field and have the privilege of working for an organization that values creativity and individualizing the services we provide to participants in our programs. We use crafts, sports, music, horses (I work on a working ranch!), and so much more to meet our participants where they are at and work with them on their mental health goals. Check us out at trinity-ec.com!

What's another random thing we might be interested to know about you?

I am a HUGE Taylor Swift fan and have found much joy, peace, healing, etc. from her music. I am an O.G. and have been listening since 2006 when I was in middle school!

Contribute directly to Kat’s fundraiser here. Connect with Kat on Facebook and Instagram.