What Happened?

You got a bump on the head... WHAT HAPPENED?!

Upon learning about my concussion, the single greatest question I am asked is “What happened?” or “How did you hit your head?”

It is a question I dread answering. Whether this question is asked from a place of curiosity or genuine concern, talking about what happened will not change my reality. Once someone gets concussed, what happened is insignificant. What does matter is how to deal with a head injury once it has happened.

BRAVE is all about the small acts of courage needed to carry on and move forward. To me, being brave begins with accepting that I got a concussion, leaving what happened in the past and focusing instead on managing my symptoms and moving forward.

About the Series

BRAVE is a light-hearted, humourous comic series on concussions. The 10 part mini-series shines a light on the small acts of courage needed to carry on and find your own way forward following a head injury. The hand-drawn and coloured illustrations that accept inconsistencies parallel the human experience which is disjointed and imperfect.

The creator of BRAVE, Kanika Gupta, lives with Post-Concussive Syndrome.

Disclaimer: BRAVE comic series is not a substitute for medical advice. Rather it provides an honest, first-hand account of what it means to live with a concussion.

About the Creator

Kanika Gupta is a multidisciplinary artist and social entrepreneur who uses visual art, writing and storytelling to create dialogue to generate greater compassion for what it means to be human. Her entire visual artistic practice draws inspiration from and is grounded in her lived experiences.

Visual art first entered Kanika’s world after a concussion as it was the only activity her symptoms could tolerate. Her practice has since evolved and she is now a full-time artist whose work has been presented in curated public art installations at Union Station and Gardiner Museum and exhibited in galleries across Toronto.

Kanika’s artwork and community building endeavours have been profiled internationally, including feature coverage in CBC Radio, Radio-Canada, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living Magazine, Forbes, The Times of India, The Guardian, Huffington Post.

Please do not reproduce artwork without creator's permission.