12 & 13 may 2026: dedicating these two days to my incredibly beautiful, talented, and caring friend & neighbor who passed away last night to suicide.
Chelsey Petersen, also known as 2neuro on social media, was a creative soul in the Omaha metro and the biggest creative influence on my life over the past five years. she struggled with bipolar disorder & severe depression her whole life, but you wouldn't have known it if you'd merely met her in passing — she had a personality that was larger than life and a sense of empathy that radiated its warmth into you no matter how close you were.
in late 2022 and most of 2023, when my car was totaled in a pretty severe car crash and i couldn't work due to a severe concussion, she and her partner drove me to the food pantry whenever i asked and kept me fed, even when they were struggling themselves. i remember when Panera Bread came out with their Sips club membership deal (free for the first month), we took advantage and drove down and got free coffee and fancy teas like three times a week for six months with six different emails. (you gotta game the system to survive poverty, y'know?)
we also competed together in Art Battle twice, and those nights are some of the best memories of my life. she even won the local competition and got to compete in the championship last year! but she was scheduled to compete this Saturday at Art Battle, too. so if you're in the Omaha area and have Saturday (May 16th) free, please go to Art Battle to honor her. i know i will.
thank you for everything you've done for me, my friend. the pain of this grief will never wane, but my love for you won't, either. be safe up there in the stars, Chels. ✨
