Art is One Way to the Heart
Pencil on paper

Not Real
Pencil on paper

I was inspired by a schizophrenic artist Louis Wain. I got inspiration by a drawing but I added my own stuff to it. I drew this by hand in school and it took me a while. I’ve always loved to draw but never got anywhere. I think compared to others I'm no good at art, but I worked very hard on this drawing and hope to someday be noticed.

Boy Frankenstein
Watercolor on paper

This piece was inspired by my own feelings that I couldn't tell anyone I was struggling for fear I wouldn't be believed or it would be embarrassing. It left me searching for ways to fix myself ending up feeling like a Frankenstein’s monster of a person.

The Western
Mixed medium on paper

I love horses and I like the cowboy look!

Lies the Mind Tells
Papier-mâché

This piece was inspired by a conversation with my friend about how we compare the behind the scenes of our life to everyone else’s highlight reel, and how if we believe that we are not enough then we will start to only see our faults.

I Have My Eye on You
Digital art

I was feeling like making some art one day and thought of doing this.

The Light After the Dark
Photography

On this night, this sky seemed to be split in half going from dark to light. It reminds me that even though things may seem dark, the light always find a way to shine through.

Self Portrait with Brick
Oil on canvas

I remember the first time I noticed I was swallowing hurt, and anger, and all the things I wanted to say. I was an adult, and I think I knew it wasn’t good for me, but I didn’t know how to do any differently. All my life I’d been swallowing what I felt and things I should have said. The result was that I had huge walls around my tender parts, under construction since I was very small.

The Mistake
Gouache paint on canvas

Daniel started the painting with a sunrise in mind. As he was drawing the horizon, paint dripped and created a darker outline than he had meant to draw. He was upset for a moment but realized that the painting could be turned into a changing moon and be equally as beautiful. Instead of using vibrant colors, he changed to gray/black scale and used white to create a starry sky.

The Seed of Happiness
Watercolor and colored pencil on paper

In the fall, as I planted seeds with my family in our backyard that would bloom in the spring, I imagined the things I love and enjoy most growing and thriving.

Power of Happiness
Acrylic on canvas

Happiness comes from Mental Health. Positive thinking has power to make life colorful.

Our Feelings
Watercolor on paper

Mental Health
Pencil and crayon on paper

I made this because I like to draw about someone helping. I sometimes need help calming down.

Standing Up for Others
Pencil on paper

One time my friend helped me out in that situation when people called me names.

Heal your Mind
Colored Pencil on paper

What inspired me to make this art piece was the deep and stressful emotions that people can have if they have any mental illness but how they can overcome them and heal their mind.

Serenity
Ceramic

I started stained glass as a hobby back when I started teaching, as a way to create something beautiful and relieve stress. Fast forward to now: I’m retired from said teaching profession and I’ve been experimenting with other art mediums for similar reasons. This piece combines these two areas of interest with a wax resist technique. When I created it I felt such peace. I hope when you look at it, it brings you serenity.

Self-Esteem
Oil painting and 3D on canvas

Embracing your inner self, sometimes one word says nothing and at the same time hides everything, one look says nothing and at the same time says everything, embrace yourself no matter what or who.

You Matter
Photograph

Found family inspired this piece - your biological family may hurt and disappoint you, but having friends who love you and make you feel like you matter is everything. I took this photo visiting one such friend earlier this month in North Carolina.

Draft of a Drowning Girl
Digital art (pixel art)

When given the theme of “mental health awareness,” I connected strongly to my own experience with anxiety of feeling like I am underwater: the physical pressure across my body, tightness in my lungs, the ticking clock of how much breath I have left. In addition, the circular shape of the artwork evokes the tension, frailty, and isolation of a bubble, characteristics that are heavily related to my struggles with mental health. Originally, I intended this piece to be 3D, held together with fuse beads with the functionality of an exaggeratedly large coin. This would display the image as mirrored on the back, showing both a rise and a fall depending on which face you were viewing. Alas, my shipment of beads did not come through. Much like the limitations in my mental health journey, clinging to my original plan, of the only path I saw as “right” would limit me in sharing my art. Instead, I’m submitting my draft, my original plan for my bead structure. This “incomplete” piece of myself somehow feels more vulnerable and revealing than the polished piece I could have shared. In this sense, I can still represent how despair and complacency at the bottom of a bubble full of water are not the end. This piece, forever suspended in progress, is only one step in a journey of art, a journey of self, and a journey of growth. Maybe the flip side of my situation isn’t visible yet, maybe the pressure of the water feels all-consuming, but maybe there’s another dimension, another perspective waiting to be unlocked. Maybe I can accept my times of despair as drafts, as beautiful, painful moments of progress, and, when I’m ready, I can recognize they have the potential to provide an outline to craft myself a more hopeful tomorrow.

Guardians of My Happiness
Watercolor on paper

In July, I left Korea, leaving behind cherished friends, grandparents, and my familiar neighborhood to adapt to a new life in the United States. Adjusting to a country where the language is different brought on feelings of homesickness. However, I found ways to overcome these challenges. Each activity—playing the violin, spending time with my cat, drawing, and exercising—became a guardian for my mental health and happiness. Through these nurturing elements, I was able to find peace and joy in my new environment. Inspired by this journey, I created this artwork to represent the things that protect and uplift me.

Gilded Scars
Oil on canvas

This piece is part of my “Darkness Deep Inside” collection and is called “Gilded Scars.” It began as a raw expression of my own pain—a canvas painted in deep, unyielding black, embodying the heavy emotions I carried within. Every stroke and texture speaks to that time when I felt enveloped by darkness. Months later, as I began to step out of that shadowed place, I returned to this piece with new eyes. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, I saw a way to honor these scars rather than hide them. I painted over the cracks with a shimmering, gilded gold, turning the marks of pain into symbols of strength and resilience. “Gilded Scars” is my way of finding gratitude for the journey, of seeing beauty in the broken places. It reminds me—and I hope others—that even in our deepest pain, there is always a chance to rebuild, to grow, and to find light where we once saw only darkness.

Not that Bad
Acrylic on canvas

It’s easy to catastrophize, so taking breaks to think more clearly is important.

Masked Voices
Mixed medium: watercolor, marker, and pen on paper

What inspired me to create my art piece, “Masked Voices,” was my own anxiety and inner thoughts I have. I wanted to show how no matter the outward appearance or personality, thoughts like these go through many teens’ and adults’ heads every day. This piece shows the hidden side of mental illness.

Nurture the Mind
Acrylic on canvas

This is inspired by my social life and how some of my friends kind of struggled with mental health and also me.

Insanity
Digital art

What inspired me to make this art piece is that I see a lot of people who struggle with anxiety and depression in their daily lives.

Drowning
Watercolor and ink on paper

I was inspired to create this artwork by the overwhelming “drowning” feeling that mental health can become. As someone that struggles with severe anxiety and depression, it’s very easy for me to feel this way.

True Beauty
Mixed medium on paper

An insecurity that I have seen a lot of people have. I feel like this piece could be helpful to others.

Dandelion from Thorns
Watercolor and charcoal on paper

I lived in a state of fight or flight for months while sifting through trauma. I finally built an armor of thorns around my heart and mind to protect myself from being destroyed further. This piece is about transforming into something beautiful after going through hell and knowing when to remove your armor so that you can start healing and living the life you deserve.

The Imperfect
Acrylic paint on canvas

The feeling of being overwhelmed and able to let it out to people you trust.

Happy
Pencil and crayon on paper

What inspired me was my dog Happy, that passed away.

Herringbone Mountains
Reclaimed oak flooring

The outdoors is my refuge and first love.

The Sisters
Oil paint on canvas

This painting was inspired by my difficulties in life, running trying to find the right way to comeback home. You always need someone to help you to go in the right direction with the light in the middle of the struggle in life, in that person person is my sister.

I Can Help
Pencil and crayon on paper

What inspired me was kindness. Counselors help people feel better.

States of Mind
Acrylic on canvas

I wrote a poem in the 5th grade, and after my dad died by suicide I had a lot of mental health problems and when I was looking at quotes for a project their was an image of like a head exploding in color and I thought of doing something like this. This image honestly represents the state I am in.

Pain
Pencil and pen on paper

Peaceful End
Watercolor, colored pencil, and paint pen on paper

All Our Parts
Mixed media

I was inspired by Dr Richard Schwartz’s work on IFS and my own struggle with mental health. The background shows two options, a stark background, when we have little support, and a woven tapestry that shows a large support system to help our recovery.

Safe Harbor
Photograph

The beauty and quiet of Montauk, NY (known locally as “The End”) makes it an ideal place to think, contemplate and pray. I wanted to capture that feeling and keep it with me. This piece hangs in my home on canvas as a reminder. I also feel like the lighthouse is a sign of safety, support and help, much like Oakwood Roots.

A Struggling Expedition of Health
Colored pencil, pencil, white pen, and black pain pen on paper

Mental Health—Love and Care
Soft pastel on museum board

This is my dad and my great-niece. I love them very much, but unfortunately, I cannot meet with them due to political relations between our states. My sister knows how much I miss my dad and how much he misses me and constantly sends me videos of how my little grandniece helps her great-grandfather eat and take pills and how my dad helps his great-granddaughter eat. I gave all my heart and love to my drawing, and this process helped me to feel together with my beloved family. As Artist and Neuroscientist, I know how love and care help children and adults to be mentally healthy.

Our Feelings
Watercolor on paper

Natural Neurons From Nature
Graphite pencil on paper

Shaking Hands With The Dark Parts of My Thoughts
Mixed medium

This piece was inspired by the process of grieving the passing of my 16 month old son, the affects of trials on faith and the song "Doubt" by Twenty-One Pilots.

Happy Kitty
Mixed medium

Thinking Happy
Mixed medium

Lost in Thought
Acrylic on canvas

Hope in the Dark
Acrylic on canvas

Beautiful Display
Acrylic on canvas

It’s Important to ASK for Help
Pencil and colored pencil on paper

Golden Girl
Mixed medium

Changes
Acrylic on canvas

A Friend’s Love
Acrylic on canvas

One of my friends once told me that hugging someone makes everything just feel better emotionally and I wanted to portray that.

Weird Coping Mech(Al)nisms
Ink pen on paper

Positive
Acrylic on paper

Found
Acrylic on canvas

This piece represents the moment of finding hope after being trapped in darkness for so long, finding light at the end of the tunnel. I want to convey the idea that there is always a way, even if you have to look deep inside yourself, out of the dark.