Discovering the world of comic books provided the escape they so desperately needed as a lonely and scared queer youth.
“On those pages, I saw colorful characters who did not fit in,” Boyce remembered. “X-Men who were hated. Spiderman who was poor and didn’t have the best family life. Daredevil who had a disability. They had struggles, but they kept trying to be the best people they could be to try to help others.”
After high school, Boyce left Ohio as soon as they could, ending up first in New York City, and then later in California. They enrolled in art school out west, and created two children’s books inspired by their experiences living experiencing homelessness. Some of their art professors took notice and encouraged Boyce to pivot in another direction: art therapy.
“With art therapy, I would be able to help give any marginalized population somebody to listen to them,” Boyce said. “And I could do it by creating a nonjudgmental space where they experienced unconditional positive regard and empathetic understanding.”
Boyce returned to Ohio for graduate school and was able to channel their passion for drawing into preparation for a career as a counselor and art therapist. They admit that while they had been successful as an artist, art therapy really helped them click into their superpowers.
“I always used drawing as a way to cope with my own fears as a child and young adult,” Boyce remembered. “Through art therapy, I am now able to help people find patterns when they are struggling with using words. I can find out a lot of information from a client through a picture that they draw that I might not be able to find if only they speak about their story.”
With an art therapy graduate degree in hand, Boyce now works with a wide variety of clients in Ohio. That includes a host of LGBTQ+ youth, both through their private practice and their association with Colors+ Counseling. And it’s not just any drawing with which Boyce has clients engaged, but superhero-related activity: finding their “superyou,” exploring their origin story, drawing their superpowers, and delving into their secret identities.