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I wanted to capture the tranquility of the evening and the gentle descent into slumber. The blues and yellows represent the dance between day and night, while the willow tree stands as a guardian over peaceful dreams. The bright yellow moon is a beacon in the dark sky, a symbol of constancy and calm in the ever-changing world. This painting is an invitation to let go of the day's worries and embrace the restorative power of a good night's sleep.

For my niece, Ellie.

Painting is therapeutic for me. I express my trauma, recovery, fear of improving, hope, despair, profound shame, anger, true joy, newfound sexuality, and qualities in myself I never knew existed. I am breaking through and processing. I love seeing my artwork evolve with my mental health. Sometimes, I imagine breaking through a black-painted window and escaping a dark room, a lightless place filled with razors and broken mirrors. Outside, there are shards of glass everywhere. It is still painful, but I finally escaped. And the wounds will heal. They are healing. I pour my soul into my paintings because I must stay grounded. My parts, my emotions. I urgently and compassionately create visual representations of them because if I don't, the...