Welcome
Life is full of challenges. We all have them. Art has helped me through my own deep valleys.”
― Sarah Jio
The Art of Mental Health uses writing and therapeutic arts activities to support the recovery of persons with mental illness. My blog also offers caregivers and loved ones information that will deepen an understanding of what recovery is and also encourage their own wellness, a capacity that many support people need to nurture in the face of challenges that come when a loved one is ill. If you are a professional, you might also be interested in learning about how creativity can be used for recovery.
My blog series, Mental Health Mapping, came to a close on October 9th, 2025. You can now access existing paid content from the Mental Health Mapping Series (which includes access to 53 posts) at a discounted rate of 9.99 CAD. This series is full of personal stories and experience, information on mental health recovery and therapeutic art, as well as guided therapeutic art exercises. Click on the following link, Welcome to Mapping Mental Health: A Therapeutic Arts Journey – The Art of Mental Health and scroll down. You will see a Subscibe button and will be prompted to enter your credit card as payment and your email.
I am blogging every second week now and these posts are free. The themes of mental health recovery and creativity will stay the same but the posts will more fluid in structure. If you’d like to receive these posts for free by email, please enter your e-mail address below and click Subscribe. FYI – You do not need to have a WordPress account to subscribe and receive these free blog posts.
TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I live and work as a guest on the unceded traditional lands of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. I am grateful for their stewardship and care of these lands. I acknowledge the impact of colonialism in contributing to discrimination and violence against Indigenous Peoples.
My intention is to create a website that is a safe space for people to share their comments and therapeutic art in response to the posts. My ask is that anyone posting is mindful about how vulnerable it is to share personal experience. Comments that are hurtful or hateful will be not approved.
This blog aims to be inclusive. It acknowledges intersectionality, where identities of disability, race, class, and gender overlap, creating multiple layers of discrimination and/or marginalization. One person’s experience of mental illness may be intersected by their race, for example, creating different experiences and challenges in their mental health recovery from a person of another culture. I recognize that my writing is informed by my specific experience as a white, cis-gender female with lived experience of bipolar and anxiety.
Please read my Disclaimer
The information on this site is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your care team about any changes to your mental health treatment. The purpose of the site is to share my mental health journey and particular tools that can be helpful for recovery, but it is not meant as a substitute for mental health care.