Artist from Elkhart sharing her drug recovery story through art
ELKHART, Ind.--- After a long fought battle with opiate addiction, Kelsey Farver, a recovering heroin addict had her first exclusive art exhibit, called Kelsey’s Art of Recovery at the Black Crow.
Farver said art saved her life and allowed her to be an advocate for people who are battling opiate addiction.
“After overdosing so many times and having so many seizures, I didn’t want to die,” said Farver. You know I didn’t want to do that to my family and I didn’t want to do that to my fiancé.”
Farver said she’s using her art to educate and share her story with people in hopes of getting more individuals on the path to recovery like she did for herself.
“It just needs to start with people being better educated and just really know that us addicts can and do recover,” said Farver. “We can make something out of ourselves.”
She said that the dark parts of drug addiction shouldn’t be hidden, because people need to know they are not alone.
“It is better when somebody that is trying to get clean is in contact with somebody that is already clean,” said Farver.
Dale Pflibsen, grandfather of Kelsey Farver and former Elkhart Chief of Police, said he’s seen the many challenges of people with opiate addiction in his previous line of work. Pflibsen said he’s happy his granddaughter could make it out.
“I’ve seen the aftermath of these things where people don’t get to recover and the death destruction it causes and destruction to families,” said Pflibsen. “We’re really grateful she managed to get herself out of that.”
Through Farver's artwork and advocacy she said she will continue to tell her truth.
“If I’m going to help and be a face of this epidemic I have to be real and raw,” said Farver.
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