"My artwork promotes wellness, recovery, and resilience because when I draw it changes my mood, it helps me relax. It really relieves my stress that I have. I find it very soothing and calm."

Submitted by ​Janet Montes De Oca

I feel the love of family plays a key role in wellness, as well as recovery. Family matters!
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Submitted by ​Wayne Baker

My art helps keep me calm and shows other people what I'm trying to do, it helps me to get through pain. 

Submitted by ​Lenore Moses

​In my darkest hour, I saw light
In hopelessness, I felt your smile
In despair, I felt your love
 
From above, you guide me home
But it’s too soon
I must wait, my purpose not complete
 
But still I want to leave
No more can I go on
Set me free; pain let me be
 
I fight on; battered and bruised
You see my wounds; dark and ugly
You show me beauty, color, peace and joy
 
One more day
Keep fighting
I see the light, purpose driven
 
Semicolon permanently on my wrist
No stop; no end
But continue on…

"​The feelings on hopelessness relieved through spiritual guidance."
Submitted by Jess V

This embroidery reflects that it's okay to cry and okay to have feelings, whoever you are; boy, girl, adult or child. You don't have to be ashamed of your emotions, and helping hands are always there.

Submitted by ​Lakesha L.

 I look in the mirror,
I see me hiding in fear.
I see nothing except fat constantly put down and alone,
Yet all others see is skin and bone.
 
She loves anyone who comes her way,
Only to be alone again the next day.
Lost and broken,
She doesn’t realize self love is her token.
 
Then a light appears,
It starts washing away all her doubts and fears.
She feels like it’s a life changing hint,
She is nothing but worth it.

I used to struggle with my self image, and always putting myself down for being "fat". I wrote this poem on a day where I felt really low, it talks about how the girl doesn't love herself because she thinks she's fat so she looks for love in other people only for it to not last because it needs to come from herself. The light I refer to in the poem is like realization that she needs to love herself, and no one can love her the way she can love herself.

Submitted by Maya Lopez

​Through the struggles of hurt and suffering of mental illness. There is always a light to guide us, someone who cares enough to get us through. Even though we feel like crumbling we are caught by a helping hand.

Submitted by ​Laura D Sharp

This painting makes me feel well because of the color and and the tranquility of it.

Submitted by Eneida Reboucas

This image is a reflection of time and our place in the universe. The light from the stars and the Milky way is from the past and is integrated with the light from the present which was used to light the foreground features. This image serves to show our place in time and our relation to the past and present, it all matters.

Submitted by ​Daniel Hayes

This artwork promotes wellness by having a soft and detailed sky and calm waters so it's not loud or disruptive in the mind, and in the middle added a bright sun because there is always that someone or something that will stand out of the blue.

Submitted by Andie Hayes

One of the paintings I did helped me released a lot of old emotions that I was holding in . It helped me realize what I was fearing and angry of. Another was a look into my future. I always had a lot anxiety of what I'm going to do for my future, but by painting trees with a road made me see that it's going to be okay. I never knew I could have anxiety about my future but I know I'll be good. My last painting is a look of my past present and future. Nature calms me, that's why I have it in a forest.

​Submitted by Bre Lopez

I draw and color Mandalas and sometimes it's fun to add something quirky, and laugh and smile at it. Art is my therapy and a huge factor in my recovery. It doesn't matter how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking, art soothes and helps me clear my mind enough to see what I need to do or that its okay to feel what I'm feeling.

Submitted by Cris Jackman

This is digital fractal art tweaked to be more of a modern abstract. Sometimes I see the brokenness and other times I see it's healing, coming together. It reminds me that interpretation is really based on our current perception of life at the time, and that it changes with our perceptions.

Submitted by Cris Jackman

​After this fractal was finished, it looked like Hope manifesting excitedly. Hope is the base on which recovery is based.

Submitted by Cris Jackman

​I took this photo in full color and photoshopped it so the background was black and white. It is my interpretation of you see what you look for and except to see. Knowing this has helped me look for the good, the positive and except something good to come, even if it's a bad situation. I always try to learn from the not-good experiences in life. Eventually!

Submitted by Cris Jackman

I was hiking in the Joshua Tree National Park and saw this tree growing in the rocks and thriving and it spoke to me; “Yes I Can”. It still speaks to me today.

Submitted by Cris Jackman

Working with my hands, creating something sparkly and pretty is satisfying and brings peace every time I see it. The crystal prism sends magical rainbows on everything around it when the sun hits it. Everyone who sees it smiles and enjoys the beauty. I used copper wire, glass beads and the crystal prism in this piece.
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Submitted by Cris Jackman

I drew this mandala using digital software. It was an experiment to see if I could draw digitally and use bright colors on a black background. I was surprised when it was finished and the peacefully feeling I got looking at it. To me, it's peaceful and hope filled as it was created hoping I could do it.

Submitted by Cris Jackman

A digitally created fractal tweaked into modern abstract. This piece represents the coming together within ourselves needed to be well and in recovery. Also the coming together of a support team to help us stay on track. And the coming together of our recovery life outside our illnesses and addiction. Hope.

Submitted by Cris Jackman