in WOW

Eye-Opening Illustrations Shine a Light on Hidden Signs of Mental Health Struggles

by viralbandit April 25, 2017, 8:37 pm 1.9k Views

Destiny Blue uses her creative talents to support those—including herself—who might be struggling with their mental health. “I’m an artist who deals with her demons through drawing,” she explains, “and I’ve written openly online about my experiences with mental illness.” In powerful images, she confronts feelings of self doubt, worthlessness, and thoughts of suicide. Each piece of mental health art reveals a bit more about her inspiring story, which is shared on her award-winning DeviantArt account.

Full of color, Destiny’s digital figurative work uses symbols and wordplay to convey her mental state. In one of her most affecting drawings, she has a side-by-side image of the same scene—but with slightly different viewpoints. In the left panel, a character writes “I’m Ok” on one side of wall. The right rectangle, however, reveals how she’s really feeling by showing that “I’m Ok” is actually “I’m not Okay” when viewed from an alternative angle.

The powerful message of the two-panel piece was recognized by the DeviantArt community. Destiny’s response to the accolade, while grateful, is a reminder that caring for your mental health is an ongoing process. “It comes at a rather poignant time…” she writes. “A week ago I was taken to hospital, after a bad (and quite scary) mental health episode, and had to stay in a psychiatric ward for a few days.” Continuing, “It’s a rough time right now, but I’ll get through it. I know I’m not alone. Thanks for all your support.”

Since posting that message, Destiny’s experience inspired her to train and run the London marathon while raising funds for Mind—The Mental Health Charity.