Water Your Garden - A Mental Health Wish
Official Water Your Garden design as seen in three Chapel Hill Transit Buses. Created by Serendib Creative.
Every year Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture hires a handful of artists to create unique artwork for their transit buses. I was so thrilled to be selected and knew that I wanted to be very intentional about the design. I remember sitting in my apartment pondering what direction I wanted to take this piece in. I remember considering all of the people who would be riding Chapel Hill transit and what I wanted to provide them on their journey.
I created Water Your Garden to bring awareness to how important taking care of our mental health is. I wanted to visualize how important it is to practice self-care and be kind to yourself.
One side of the illustration shows the power of healthy thoughts through affirmations.
Affirmations and healthy thoughts are such a beautiful way to show self love and validate your emotions. Some of my favorites are:
- I have the power to change.
- I am worthy.
- Don’t give up!
- You are so loved.
- Your mental health matters.
- You are enough.
- Ask for help.
The other side of the illustration is about ways that you can practice self-care and seek support within your community.
Some of the highlights from the design are:
- Talk to loved ones.
- Work out.
- Meditate.
- Go to therapy.
- Rest.
In the center is a brain with one side illustrated in the same design as the positive thoughts side and the other is illustrated as a garden.
I believe that artwork has the power to change the way people think and I believe that imagery and messaging like this in the Chapel Hill buses could have a positive impact on its riders.
When I transitioned from my work in public health to becoming a full time artist, I knew that I wanted to carry my advocacy with me. I knew that I wanted my artwork to move people, to change them, and to help them see things from a new perspective. At the time that I was creating this piece, I remember resonating on everything that had happened over the past few years and how much that had impacted my mental health. I think that one thing that I have learned over the past few years is that you can’t sleep on your mental health and wellness. Start now! Don’t wait until you’re stressed or past your limit. As someone who faced burnout from something she loved, my wish is for you that you do things to prevent that from happening. Take care of yourself. Nourish yourself. Love yourself, even when it is hard - ESPECIALLY when it is hard.
Some of my favorite things to do to practice self care are:
Meditate with insight timer every morning
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Work out OR go outside
I try to run or walk every day. If I dont feel like working out, I will walk and call someone while I’m walking to distract me.
Listen to music
Depending on the mood, it will either be a dance playlist or my cafe con leche playlist on spotify. Something else that I listen to on a regular basis is listen to podcasts, especially when i go for walks. One of my go to podcasts is Unlocking us by brene brown.
Create
Do something art related. Take photos, paint, draw, collage, etc. doing something hands on is always helpful. Another form of creation is cooking. Something that I regularly do for self care is get lost in a recipe.
Read
Escaping into new worlds is always helpful. Right now I am taking the self-help route and reading about anxious attachment. other than that, I have been getting lost in poetry. my current recommendation is: Ocean Hearts by N Dumindi
But let’s not end with my recommendations! What do you do to practice self-care? Share in the comments : )With love,
Mayanthi