Back in 2018-2019, I hit a wall—hard. It was like I fell off a cliff into the depths of something dark, maybe depression, maybe a nervous breakdown, or perhaps the weight of emotions I’d been avoiding for too long. I was at rock bottom, with no money, no work, and the overwhelming feeling of being stuck at the bottom of the ocean, unsure if I’d ever rise again. In desperation, I reached out to my old therapist and begged for help. I had nothing to offer but my broken self, and yet, she agreed to see me—for just $1. For over a year, she guided me as I slowly started to find my way back to the surface. I thought I was swimming, that I was making progress… and then 2020 happened. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t as healed as I thought. On April 24, 2020, my therapist dropped a bombshell that shook me to my core: she didn’t think I was actually feeling my feelings — I was just intellectualizing them. I couldn’t believe it. After 10 years of therapy, how could I have missed this? What was I even doing all that time? This revelation sent me on a relentless quest to understand emotions, diving deep into books, podcasts, anything that could teach me more about this part of myself I’d been neglecting. By 2022, I decided to try something new—art therapy. And it was there, with a paintbrush in hand, that I finally started to truly connect with my emotions. Painting became my language for feelings I couldn’t put into words, a way to process and express what I’d been holding inside for so long. Stay tuned for part 2, where I’ll share how my art therapy journey unfolded a whole new chapter in my self discovery and art. 💜💚 . . . @artbycharity #arttherapy #arttherapylife #arttherapyheals #artishealing #femaleartist #watercolorartist #watercolortattoos
