Art was always an abstract thing I enjoyed throughout my childhood but never quite connected with on a deeper level. I understood and appreciated how ‘pretty’ pictures could evoke feelings and thoughts but never really ‘got it’ the way others expressed. I always intended to spend more time delving into the artistic world, but as with many things, I was caught up in my studies and life just ticked along without me finding the time to hone in on any specific interests. Over the past two years, however, having been confronted by a barricade of health issues, this abstract and distant concept has become my closest friend: a source of solace when reality becomes too painful, when I want to be alone with my thoughts with no judgement or expectations from anyone else. Whether it be drawing, collaging, photography, visiting galleries, attending art history lectures, watching documentaries, reading books, reading (and writing!) poetry or even flicking through magazines, I’ve found ‘art therapy’ to be a real and relatable term I can finally get to grips with. Beyond being just another ‘trendy’ niche which everyone is trying to occupy, art transports me away from an all-encompassing, heavy-duty life to a more peaceful world. It allows me to be mindful and appreciate where I am. It reminds me that others who have gone through or are going through hardship may have looked at these exact works or used these same tools as their own form of escape. It reminds me that artists and spectators alike are all just human beings, each with their own baggage and constructed thoughts and feelings. Ultimately, it reminds me I am not alone; there is a way to escape this fast-paced, increasingly overwhelming and overstimulating world. So, I urge you to take a chance on art, whatever your artistic ability (or interest!), as its magic may surprise you.

To see more of Sophia’s work, follow her Instagram page.