This thesis document contains two essays: The first essay, “To Be Continued”, is a brief, focused personal history with the subject matter from which I based the content of the project on, such as bullying, abuse, and the psychological affects of these experiences, as well as some speculative research into related mental health topics. I also describe the self-transformative and self-empowering nature of the project and the parallels between my own personal journey and that of my main character in Primary Growth. It stands as a justification for the themes presented in my thesis work and the topics I will continue to work with in the future. The second essay, “Adolescence and Horrific Transformation” explores the grotesque, the abject, and the uncanny in relation to my aesthetic and tonal choices in Primary Growth.