The Prophet’s Palette: Creating your Path to Peace

This blog is not an attempt to recount every experience that led to my mental health struggles, but rather a chance to open up and share what it’s like to battle depression and anxiety as both an artist and a mother. My hope is that by sharing, someone out there will feel seen and gain some hope. 

Let’s start by reflecting on some of the greatest artists in history who faced their own battles with mental illness. Painters like Vincent van Gogh, who struggled with bipolar disorder and hallucinations, poured his emotions into his hauntingly beautiful and often tormented works. Edvard Munch, who wrestled with anxiety and depression, explored the depths of human fear and isolation in paintings like The Scream. Yayoi Kusama, diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and hallucinatory experiences, expressed her inner world through vibrant, infinite patterns. These are a few extreme examples of how mental health shapes art. 

A survey by The Creative Independent revealed that 62% of artists have experienced anxiety, and 44% have struggled with depression. While financial instability and the pressures of the creative world are often seen as contributing factors, I believe there’s another, more hopeful perspective to consider. Art, in many ways, can become a form of therapy, a healing practice for those who are struggling. And it’s important to note that although not all artists wear their mental health battles on their canvas—the quiet, internal struggles can be just as real.

I once heard the artist Elli Milan say that artists should “paint on the other side of their pain.” That statement resonated deeply with me. As an artist who has known the weight of depression and anxiety, it’s easy to get caught up in painting what you feel in the moment—the heavy, difficult emotions. But I’ve discovered that the more I focus on painting beauty and joy, the more I invite peace and happiness into my own life. I become a prophet. I am creating a vision of the world I want to live in, one brushstroke at a time. I sometimes wonder if the artists who painted scenes of chaos and violence—whose works were fueled by inner turmoil—might have found healing if they had painted instead what they longed to feel: peace, serenity, hope. I also think that what we put out into the world does not just affect the inner workings of our minds but also the world around us. We affect change in a positive way when we create things that inspire hope, peace, and beauty. 

This is not to undermine the incredible value of art that explores the darker sides of the human experience, but rather to highlight that art’s true power lies in its ability to help us transform, heal, and manifest something beautiful into existence.

The therapeutic value of art goes beyond the subject matter—it’s in the process. When we create, we engage the right hemisphere of our brain, the part responsible for creativity, emotional processing, and spatial reasoning. In our fast-paced, left-brain-dominant world—full of spreadsheets, meetings, and multitasking—our left brain gets overworked. Taking time to engage in creative activities like painting, gardening, or cooking helps us tap into the flow of the right brain, and it’s there that healing can take place. 

Have you ever lost track of time while painting, cooking, or working on a craft? That’s the right brain at work. In those moments, it’s like meditating. Time slows down, and there’s no room for stress or worry—just creation and presence.

I remember watching a TED Talk by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, who shared her experience after having a stroke on the left side of her brain. What she discovered was that the right brain is capable of incredible beauty and insight. Of course, the left brain is essential for daily life, but the right brain offers a healing, restorative space that can bring us back to ourselves. I highly recommend watching her talk—it's a life-changing perspective on the power of the brain.

For me, when I stand in front of a blank canvas, with fresh paint on my palette, I know I’m about to step into a creative space that takes me out of the realms of time, anxiety, and depression. Yes, those challenges still appear along the way, but as I paint, I push through, allowing myself to return to that peaceful, flowing place where joy and beauty reside.

I’ve come to accept my diagnosis of depression and anxiety, and I’ve worked hard to manage my mental health, seeking therapy and support along the way. But I’ve found that through painting—by visualizing the world I want to create, the feelings I wish to manifest—I can slowly bring that vision into reality. Depression and anxiety are still with me, like old companions in my mind. But with a paintbrush in hand, I take control. I shape the world around me. I create art.

I encourage you to discover your own "right-brain" activity—whatever helps you tap into that flow of creativity and peace. Use it as a tool to manifest beauty, healing, and joy in your life and in the world around you. With every act of creation, you hold the power to shape the future you envision. Remember, you are the architect of your own peace, joy, and contentment. So, go forth and create the world you want to see—within yourself and beyond.