Connection

Story Summary

Connection was created for the International Bipolar Foundation (ibpf.org) after a weekly community call with Tanya Griffins. It was inspired by stories of empowerment, advocacy, education, and awareness around mental health. I tied it to my own college experience with anxiety, OCD, and suicidal thoughts, and the healing support you received. Painting this piece was emotionally intense, leaving you exhausted, yet transformed. It represents moving from darkness into light and honors the beauty that can emerge from mental health challenges.

Story

On a weekly Community Call with Tanya Griffins, on June 12,2020 I offered to donate a painting to the IBPF.org foundation. Tanya and I met to discuss the painting on June 22, 2020. She shared the story of the importance of connection and the amazing people that have been inspired through this people connected to the foundation. She educated me about Empowerment, Advocacy, Education, and Awareness, the 4 main aspects of what drives the caring community. She also mentioned the amazing work and advocacy of Paul Dalio and his movie "Touched with Fire.” While I have not experienced bi-polar, I connected to the cause because when I was in college, I went through some dark times. I was so focused on being perfect, I had an obsessive compulsive disorder that caused me to spend 15 minutes each night to set my alarm. I had strong anxiety and there was one night in particular, where my mind would not stop racing and had suicidal thoughts. That night, the only thing that calmed me was a ”Desert Winds” CD that calmed it enough to sleep. The next day I spoke with my parents. I needed help and with their help and support, I began seeing a counselor. I saw how important it is to have support during tough times. After those dark times, over the years I have made conscious choices to work on the lighter side with a mission and message to help others enjoy life daily. I still struggle with perfectionism something I still struggle with and because of abstract art, I can let it go and blend colors in a way that allows the lines and rules of the world behind. I painted this with a lot of emotion. When I finished the creation, I was exhausted and felt a little sick. I had to lie down. I felt like it was my final transcendence of going through the pain and challenges over the years. Thank you for allowing me to share this story with you and how I hope this creation is as therapeutic to you as it was for me to see, out of the challenges that mental illness causes…the beauty.