Ode to Hope and Despair is a collection of literary and visual art works, traveling from darkness to light in a literal epitome of a journey from despair to hope to despair to hope, in a looped circle, which sometimes also manifests as a spiral. After all, what is Despair if not Hope through the looking glass, and what is Hope if not Despair reflected in a funhouse mirror?

Ode to Hope and Despair is both for those going through dark days and for their loved ones - to provide hope to the former and insight to the latter. This book exists to help the former become more familiar with their own mind and help the latter better understand the mind of the former. Having learned many a valuable lesson on her ongoing journey, IlanaKovalle enjoys nothing more than helping others feel that they are not alone in their dark times. She also hopes that by sharing her experiences and feelings, she might help someone else out there better understand their own. After all, this book is not just about a life permeated by depression - it is also about the struggle to not be defined by that depression, or even by that struggle. It is a lesson in learning to accept all facets of oneself and watching how, through that acceptance, they begin to transform into something once unimaginable.

This book is a journey, but nobody said that the journey has to be linear. So here are a few options for how to read Ode to Hope and Despair:

Option A - flip through the pages, find the illustration that speaks to you, and read that piece (good for anyone anytime).

Option B - focus on the lighter pages in the last third of the book (can be good for lighter moods in general and also for lightening the mood if necessary).

Option C - explore the darker pages in the first third of the book (can be good when in need of an emotional release, trying to put feelings into words, or looking for a sense of connection to know that you’re not alone in this)

Option D - from cover to cover, in a linear fashion, to fully immerse in the transformation (can be emotionally-taxing, especially at the beginning).