JOLI, 21 YEARS OLD

DEFINING SELF-CARE

Self care is something that makes you happy. I am a homebody, so self care for me is being in pajamas and relaxing on the couch.

My Mental Health Story

My most significant mental health struggle has been coping with my dad’s passing in 2017. At the time, I found it very hard to express my grief. I mainly focused on school work and hanging out with friends. My friends were always there to talk about it if I wanted to. I found it healthy to talk about my feelings with my friends. Being able to now openly talk about my grief has helped me be there for my friend whose parent has recently passed away. I also channeled my grief into my art. It was my coping mechanism that I think helped me talk about my dad/grief. I have made art surrounding grief for the past five years, but this year I felt that I have grown so much from making work about grief.

I will never move on from my grief, but I am growing with it. My current work is an evolution of my past work. It is the progression of a personal journey.