My American Girl Doll Josefina has been one of my most precious treasures since I was a child. It was particularly meaningful for me to have a Mexican doll, as it made me feel closer to my grandmother. Josefina is the only remaining doll from my childhood, and as such there are so so many memories, both good and bad, held in its soft body As i have changed, so has the doll. When I was in middle school and starting to struggle with my identity, i cut the doll’s hair to match my own new haircut, and added sharpie eyeliner. Then i wrapped medical tape around its plush stomach like a corset to make it thinner, as I thought my body should be thinner. I later took the tape off, but an adhesive stain has remained- painful reminder of the harm I did to myself as a child. I recently decided that now that I am so happy and settled in my identity, I should once again remake this doll in my image, this time as a colorful portrait of my transmasculine joy.
Needle Felting on American Girl Doll
