Over the years I’ve worked with different therapists, and many of them used drawing to help me express feelings I couldn’t easily explain. It wasn’t about making art — it was about finding a way to show what was happening inside me.
One of the most helpful times was at Piha, where I had around ten sessions with a trans‑personal therapist. I don’t have the drawings anymore, but I remember the experience clearly. At that point I felt trapped in anxiety, almost like being stuck in a box.
During one session, I drew myself inside that box. Then something unexpected happened. I stood up, stepped out of the imaginary box, and lifted my arms in the air. The therapist was surprised, but for me it was a small moment of release — the first shift I’d felt in a long time.
Creativity didn’t solve everything, but it gave me a way to move when I felt stuck. That simple moment of stepping out of the box has stayed with me as a reminder that recovery often begins with small, honest steps.