After I almost lost my life at age 14, I was desperate to heal. Art gave me colors. Light. Hope in magical worlds that I could sneak away to until I re-learned the sound of my voice.
In July, 2017, I embarked on a self-portrait series to conceptually illustrate my journey with clinical depression and bipolar disorder for Minority Mental Health Month. As the Founder and Executive Director of a global youth-run mental health nonprofit, Letters to Strangers, I am deeply invested in the power of art and the human connection.
:: Read more about my creative thought process behind each photo of this series here.
:: Watch my TEDxTeen speech in Times Square on mental health, art, and empathy here.
![#1: Cotton Cold](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ceff7732-5ab4-4fc5-9190-e2fe4bedb29b/0/0/0/0,0,3641,2430,3641,1200/0-0-0/a5984031-ee94-413a-9bdf-ce333712a7df/1/1/1.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037510853~hmac=b9ba8e00c574afea7ac4f8b6d912619f54e856e6f9b3ab73f514dd561cef0b84)
#1: Cotton Cold
![#2: Bipolar Balloons](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ceff7732-5ab4-4fc5-9190-e2fe4bedb29b/0/0/0/0,0,2430,3641,1600,3641/0-0-0/e28ce932-e033-445d-bf9b-2927301f48d1/1/1/2_small.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037510853~hmac=70182ef4b4c59efea3aca52e6f42198f5acacf71fad30c36036c7c25188adfc6)
#2: Bipolar Balloons
![#3: Rubber B(r)anded](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ceff7732-5ab4-4fc5-9190-e2fe4bedb29b/0/0/0/0,0,2429,3643,1600,3643/0-0-0/b3d26d2a-3e3d-455d-a0e0-2375929adbdc/1/1/3_small.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037510853~hmac=4ccfd0a994cc5ed2081c9ea851b4723f59477ce5a31aa2554c81c7315cc2b499)
#3: Rubber B(r)anded
![#4: Masked Malady](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ceff7732-5ab4-4fc5-9190-e2fe4bedb29b/0/0/0/0,0,2614,3384,1600,3384/0-0-0/2bd28dce-6ea0-4e7d-80a1-7f07932855ae/1/1/4_hq_small.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037510853~hmac=4ee8ba3be661bbb24aaf087182f7511137889cb3b1fa57bd21cd974b4ac6dca8)
#4: Masked Malady
![#4.5 Vertigo](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ceff7732-5ab4-4fc5-9190-e2fe4bedb29b/0/0/0/0,0,2977,2972,2977,1200/0-0-0/b5e5fc51-c91d-4848-b6c7-a164f74b6f63/1/1/awake.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037510853~hmac=185c6132eca8e0865b8f536e040cff4a110f4b4dca6c4af8be7ae81a887fe697)
#4.5 Vertigo
![#5: 彩云易散 Clouds Scatter Easily](https://format.creatorcdn.com/ceff7732-5ab4-4fc5-9190-e2fe4bedb29b/0/0/0/0,0,2521,3509,1600,3509/0-0-0/9c86d5a6-5aba-4aff-860b-3f7c2194d323/1/1/6.jpg?fjkss=exp=2037510853~hmac=e76fa9cbea079ae4101f47a62010b486ed2669486438d8708954888441d6728a)
#5: 彩云易散 Clouds Scatter Easily