The biggest struggle for me with my mental health has always been that it’s something intangible; my bipolar and past traumas weren’t people I could just talk it out with, nor were my emotions and feelings something I could fix with just tools or an appointment. I felt helpless, like someone plagued by a poltergeist; an invisible and sometimes volatile force I couldn’t seem to understand let alone tame.

Drawing and painting allowed me to put imagery and face to aspects of myself that I had never gotten to know, but deeply feared. I was able to start inner dialogue and healing where there had only been inner strife before. Art allowed me to reach a level of understanding with myself that felt liberating as well as enlightening. So much of myself today I owe to art and the level of care and understanding it has allowed me to put into myself. I hope through art I can help others feel seen and understood in a way that potentially helps them reach a new level of care and empathy with themselves that maybe seemed impossible to take before. Visualization to mental health is impactful and I strive to help that impact if I can.