Bluebird

Bluebird is a sweet and sentimental comic about reclaiming childhood items, reconnecting with my past self, and bringing that person into adulthood with me as I’ve transitioned.
This comic also talks about my feelings about the term "deadname" in the trans community, and my experience of keeping ties to my younger self when I transitioned.
This comic was created for Read To Me, and read in front of a live audience at Ashfield Library on November 8th. Read To Me is always the perfect to share complex stories I’ve kept inside. It’s a joy to articulate them with illustrations, and reflect on intimate moments. Thank you for spending time with this little story.

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This story was originally created for ‘Read To Me’, a live comic reading event, and read in front of a live audience. I wrote this story throughout 2019-2021, and illustrated it throughout 2021 and 2022.
Thank you to my friend Drita, for being a fellow Bluebird buddy, and having conversations about childhood items, and reclaiming adolescence with me as we go on deep dives online hunting down old trinkets and playsets late into the night. Thank you for sharing stories from your childhood, and inspiring me to find my own Bluebird necklace, and prompt me to reflect on why I’m so sentimental about my childhood self and her belongings.
Image of Samuel and Drita wearing their Bluebird necklaces: Photo taken by Adam Salim on May 26, 2021 at Goodspace Gallery, Chippendale, on Gadigal Land. See more of Adam’s work at @aslice.jpg
I would like to acknowledge the cover of this book was modelled off my own My First Five Years baby book by Anne Geddes. The cover font was created from snippets of my Mum’s handwriting in that same baby book. I like to think that her little Sam is still here with me, as I’ve grown up. This book is entirely about that little Sam, reflecting on my childhood and carrying parts of her with me into adulthood. I love you the best, love you the most, love you with all my heart, Mum. xxx
This book was created on Dharug Land (Sydney, NSW, Australia). Love and respect to first nations peoples, always. It is a privilege and a gift to create art and share stories on this land.
This story discusses my rejection towards the term “deadname”, and my innate need to stay connected to my childhood self since I’ve transitioned. I do not speak on behalf of any one else’s gender transition, but my own.
This story contains illustrations created from my personal childhood photos, combined with present day reference photos of myself.
Page 20 is a shirtless (torso only) overlapping illustration of me at three points in my life: showing my full chest pre top surgery at age 23, my flat chest at age 5, and my flat chest now at age 26 after top surgery.
Page 30 is another shirtless (torso only) illustration of my younger self at age 12, and current self at age 26, back to back.
This book does not contain any adult themes or any mentions of trauma.