Welcome
Life is full of challenges. We all have them. Art has helped me through my own deep valleys.”
― Sarah Jio
The Art of Mental Health uses writing and therapeutic arts activities to support the recovery of persons with mental illness. My blog also offers caregivers and loved ones information that will deepen an understanding of what recovery is and also encourage their own wellness, a capacity that many support people need to nurture in the face of challenges that come when a loved one is ill. If you are a professional, you might also be interested in learning about how creativity can be used for recovery.
My blog series, Mental Health Mapping, is full of personal stories and experience, information on mental health recovery and guided therapeutic art exercises. If you’d like to receive these posts for free by email, please enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. FYI – You do not need to have a WordPress account to subscribe and receive these free blog posts.
TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I live and work as a guest on the unceded traditional lands of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. I am grateful for their stewardship and care of these lands. I acknowledge the impact of colonialism in contributing to discrimination and violence against Indigenous Peoples.
My intention is to create a website that is a safe space for people to share their comments and therapeutic art in response to the posts. My ask is that anyone posting is mindful about how vulnerable it is to share personal experience. Comments that are hurtful or hateful will be not approved.
This blog aims to be inclusive. It acknowledges intersectionality, where identities of disability, race, class, and gender overlap, creating multiple layers of discrimination and/or marginalization.
One person’s experience of mental illness may be intersected by their race, for example, creating unique experiences and challenges.
Mental health recovery is not one single definition but is made up of unique experiences. I recognize that my writing is informed by my specific experience as a white, cis-gender female with lived experience of bipolar and anxiety. Furthermore, my writing is based on my own subjective experience with mental illness. My opinions and ideas aren’t the only path to mental health recovery.
Please read my Disclaimer
The information on this site is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your care team about any changes to your mental health treatment. The purpose of the site is to share my mental health journey and particular tools that can be helpful for recovery, but it is not meant as a substitute for mental health care.