Meet Kristen T, a military spouse raising awareness about human trafficking

"How can we better support each other through life and its struggles? How can we celebrate our small or big wins?"

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?

I was introduced to Dressember by a fellow military spouse friend while stationed in California and have been participating almost every year since then. To me Dressember is being a part of something bigger. Seeing individuals and teams come together for a common cause brings me so much joy. Learning the stats provided by the Dressember team each year emphasizes how important advocating for human trafficking victims is.

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

I have lost track of how many times I have participated. This is probably my 8th time. The best part is having a reason to wear the many dresses that I own. The challenge can be the days when wearing a dress doesn't seem to fit with what I have going on or feeling uninspired by my closet choices.

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

As a military spouse, mental health is a top concern. We are often told how resilient and strong we are to weather all that military life throws at us (deployments, moving every 2-3 years, being away from family and friends, lack of support, etc.) But more and more, we realize that some days are hard and we need help.

Learn more about military mental health from NAMI, Military One Source and Mental Health America

Mental health is often about awareness. The more I learn about different mental health issues, the more I realize that we all struggle with something. How can we better support each other through life and its struggles? How can we celebrate our small or big wins?

I love this answer. (When I use the term “mental health” I sometimes mean things with a diagnosis and symptoms but more often I just mean something akin to “how the challenges of life are affecting our thoughts and experiences.” And that, in turn, affects our creativity.  And so, I believe that all of us are artists and all face mental health challenges to varying degrees.)

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

I often keep Dressember simple. I wear my dresses and take a daily photo. Sometimes, especially after seeing some of our really go-getter advocates, I feel pressure to do all the cool things during Dressember.

I am in a unique time where, while being stationed overseas, I can have some fun experiences during December that my counterparts in the States or Canada may not have. For example, I am able to visit many different Christmas markets throughout Europe.

However, over the years, I have to tell myself that Dressember isn't about where I take my pictures, if I look perfect in my picture or how many people give. It's about planting seeds and highlighting a world-wide issue.

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

I have seen some very creative advocates create outfits based on different movie/TV characters. I love seeing those!

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

I like sharing the stats. Data tells an important story.

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

It's in our backyard. No matter where you live, it is highly likely that human trafficking is happening.

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

For many, wearing a dress everyday is an unrealistic ask. Not everyone likes dresses. Not everyone owns a ton of dresses. It can be cold in December. Wearing a dress despite those challenges shows that this cause is important enough to make a few sacrifices.

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

As of now, I am a team of one. I created my team, Break the Chains, with the hopes of some friends coming alongside me. If they do, it will be amazing! If not, I will do what I do regardless. While I have a goal set, the amount is less important to me than the awareness I can bring to my sphere of influence.

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

Where the money goes. Human trafficking is such a big concept. You hear that and may not know how money raised will actually be used to help.

To read more about the impact your donation will have, visit dressember.org/impact.

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

In my own life, having a creative outlet is very important to my own happiness. Right now my main creative outlet is graphic design for some nonprofit organizations that benefit military spouses. Like being involved with Dressember, this helps me to be a part of something bigger than myself where I can make an impact.

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

To date, I have visited 38 countries including some like Monaco, Andorra and Lichtenstein.

You can donate directly to Kristen’s Dressember fundraiser here.

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