The Himalayas had given me the most precious gift – the realisation that the strength to overcome life's storms lies within, waiting to be discovered. And as I trekked back down to the world below, I knew that no matter what challenges life threw my way, I would forever be anchored by the beauty and resilience of the great Himalayas. Watercolor on handmade paper – a village in the Himalayas.
When maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing, it is important that you build a stockpile of constructive coping strategies. 'Imprinted Growth' illustrates my evolving tapestry of these mechanisms, and how it is drawn upon every day.
This poetry is inspired by my time spent in contemplative practice. Chai has often connected me to my culture and heritage, and it with it I like to sit and journal. During this time, I have often found myself lost in a dream of the past or future. This inspired me to reflect, but also find hope within to create the change I was yearning for, by finding romanticism in suffering.
This is my wintering. It is a self portrait in a photo studio with a single light. My usual style is far more fantastical, yet with the launch of AI images there is such a plethora of fantastical images and videos online that I have felt overwhelmed. For me, this has lead to me shut down; yet also appreciate simple styles and techniques. Wintering is resting before new growth. Death and rebirth.
This poignant painting reveals the intimate connection between emotions and mental health through the depiction of a naked woman adorned with a rich array of colours. Each stroke on the canvas portrays a different facet of the emotional spectrum that individuals experience as they navigate the complexities of their mental well being. Fiery reds and oranges represent the intense emotions covering her.
There's this feeling of complete and utter desolation when you hit a low mental point in your life. I wanted to replicate that feeling of sinking, of feeling alone, through the use of photography. It's a photograph of nothing, in a way – because it's that bleak numbness that suffocates you.
Through rough patches, it's important to remember all the little things that make life good, and to seize on them and still have hope that things will improve, as well as staying in the moment and trying to enjoy life as much as possible. A mental health journey is never linear, and it's important to embrace the good times despite the bad. This is digital art, overlaid with a free-to-use font.
Mental health problems can be compounded by regrets of various kinds, grief for the person you used to be, and missed opportunities. In this poem, I tried to emphasise the strength it takes to go on anyway despite those regrets, and that the person I have become is still worth it. I wrote it specifically about self-harm, but it can be applied to a variety of disordered thoughts and behaviours.
One necessary thing with fighting mental health issues is courage and bravery in the fight. In this poem, I remembered the inspiring courage of a friend and the way we must stick at life despite everything. With the right support, a short-term crisis should improve, but it's hard to remember sometimes. Symbolism can be important to build into one's life as a reminder of what we should try to do.
I once read that the support of friends can sometimes be the difference between people with severe mental health issues getting through it, and not. In this piece, I wanted to represent how I feel, both supporting and being supported. Depression can feel incredibly isolating, but a strong support network reminds us that our minds are playing tricks on us.
Depression feels forever. I wanted to remind myself and others that there are seasons in life and it will not be forever, despite the way it feels. I ended it without a full stop to signify the ongoing process it can be, and the small steps that have to be taken to recover from it.