I gave up art when I was a teenager.

After receiving a poor grade in a public art exam — and fearing the stereotype of the “starving artist” — I walked away from the one thing my heart truly loved. At the time, drawing meant everything to me. Letting it go left a deep void. My teenage self felt lost and often cried at night without knowing why.

I didn’t go to art school; instead, I majored in design and went on to work as an art director for over a decade.

Even now, I’m still haunted by the idea that I “failed” to become an artist. But deep down, I’ve always known that art has a unique power to calm my mind. I shouldn’t have left it behind.

Now, in my late thirties, I’ve returned to painting — not to chase success, but to reconnect with a part of myself I had buried. And I’ve come to believe that art might be the key — not just for me, but for all of us — to support our mental wellness.

In today’s world, we’re constantly scrolling, searching for solutions to our problems through screens. But the answers we seek aren’t in our phones. They’re in the real world, and we so rarely allow ourselves to be fully present in it.

Art invites us back to the moment. It helps our energy flow. It gives our emotions space to breathe. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to feel human again.