Art is what I had left
My original art is usually pretty rare to be sold publicly. It's more of a private collection. I think the last time I sold any of it was 2011, and then again in 2015.
After my most recent psychiatric stay I was inspired, and also manic, so a lot came out at once. Things I had been holding in for years.
Art is therapy. But when your freedom is taken away, and what feels like your humanity along with it, art becomes all you have left. It's what allowed me to remember that even if I'm not treated like a human being because of my mental illness, I still belong in this world just as much as anyone else.
I don't know why I was born with a mental illness, but not knowing why doesn't mean I should believe it makes me less than. It just makes me different. I believe we are all put on this earth for a reason. We are all born with gifts, and I'm trying to use mine for good, even if it isn't perfect. It's all I have in this moment.
That's what lives inside my art. Anytime someone looks at it, I hope it reminds them that no one is perfect, that we all make mistakes and that's okay, and that you aren't alone in struggling.
Life can feel like literal Hell. I feel like I've been living in Hell most of my life, suffering. It's awful, but somehow I make it through another day. I try to find ways to trick my brain, or train my brain, to find the good in the horrible things. It works well when you practice at it. You should give it a try.
I hope my art reminds you that it's okay to talk out loud about mental health. In fact, we should talk about it more. I just hope it inspires you, or helps you, the way it helped me when I needed it.