“My art is my story; I approach each piece as a visual and somatic expression of my experience.”

Expressionist artist, Sarah, is the creator of the painting Anxious Hands. The painting is meant to demonstrate the vulnerability she felt at a time when she was struggling to share her artwork, or as she put it, allowing herself “to be seen or be heard.” 

For Sarah, art is a therapeutic medium through which she refines her creativity. From brush painting to finger painting, she explores texture and depth to create pieces that are imbued with emotion. In an effort to counteract the stigmatization of mental and physical illness, Sarah shared with The Trauma and Mental Health Report that she is autistic, in addition to being diagnosed with Borderline Personality, Complex PTSD, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Narcolepsy. Her art serves both as a tool for her self-expression, as well as a mode of communication and connection with others. Sarah hopes that sharing her story through her art can “contribute to the normalization of our experiences.”

“I want to work against the barrier I feel, to use creativity to counteract what is forced to hide through judgement and stigma.”

To view more of Sarah’s artwork, visit her Instagram @painted.hands.hippie.hearts

Image Credits:
Feature Image: Bernard Hermnat, On Unsplash, Creative Commons
Body Image: @painted.hands.hippie.hearts, used with artist’s permission