Josetta

Josetta

they/them

Josetta, who is queer, trans and nonbinary, chose three tattoos from a collection of seven for the portrait that trace a circular story from first to most recent.

The oldest is a set of spirals on their left upper arm, representing their own face and body in a style that draws on ancient art and practice. Josetta designed it themselves and had it done around the age of twenty by a friend and fellow queer person of colour from Greenham Common peace camp who was self-taught and learning the craft at the time. They were one of a group of “Greenham dykes” who got tattooed together during a holiday in the wilds of Cornwall. An outline of Jamaica above their heart marks their connection to heritage via their father, who was from the island, and the most recent is a nonbinary symbol on their neck. All Josetta’s tattoos represent deeply meaningful connections to communities, culture and spiritual practices.

Josetta’s background is in yoga, mindfulness, wellbeing, mental health advocacy, and social justice, working with people of colour (POC), LGBTQIA+, trans and nonbinary, and neurodivergent/disabled people. They are currently focused on doctoral research, training and consultancy in equity, diversity and inclusion for these communities. They love being Black, queer, nonbinary, intersex, autistic and having ADHD, and working with marginalised communities. Their interest in mental health and wellbeing grew from managing their own mental health and discovering how much yoga, mindfulness and a healthy lifestyle helped. Their experiences and awareness of discrimination and inaccessible services and spaces has driven them to both challenge inequity, and support individuals and groups to create inclusive spaces.