For my entire life I have been surrounded by the world of psychology. Having a mother who is a therapist, I was raised with the idea that mental health comes first. In 11th grade I then took AP psychology. I realized that psychology is actually a really interesting subject. I liked being able to maintain intellectual conversations with my mom, and diagnosing my friends. At the same time, I began to experiment with art. I then found that tying my art to a deeper meaning produced better results. I started to use art as a way to express myself when stressed out or anxious. This was a way for me to combine my interests in both art and psychology.

For my sustained investigation, I decided to explore different mental health disorders, and factors that can improve them. I began with graphite drawings, but started experimenting with mixed media. I worked on incorporating photography in too. Some pieces represent my personal feelings, while others were inspired by studies that have advanced the world’s knowledge of mental health disorders.