As somebody who grew up struggling to make friends, I understand the importance of social-emotional wellness. I was often considered smart and 'gifted' because I chose to read books during my elementary recesses, but looking back now it is easy to see that this was a coping mechanism meant to protect me from the pain of rejection. If I didn't attempt to make friends or engage with other children, then they couldn't hurt me. This avoidant style of attachment has followed me into my adult life, causing great distress and many difficulties in my personal relationships. Along with the neglect from my peers, my parents and teachers rarely noticed my good grades. Getting above a ninety was simply a standard- an expectation. It wasn't something that I was praised for, I was never made to believe that I was smart. I was led to believe that the classes were simply 'too easy' and my accomplishments meant nothing. Now that I have the capability to reflect on the negative impact that growing up socially misunderstood and forgotten, it is very important for me to work as hard as I can to make sure that other children, teens, and adults aren't forced to llve the way that I was. That is why I am currently working towards my degree to become an art therapist. I desperately wanted to be seen for my talents, which included my art skills. By offering a space to practice, be recognized for their talents, and foster their love for creativity, I plan to increase children's confidence in themselves. Once someone believes that they are accomplished and that their work matters, their confidence is built. With an increased confidence and a belief that they are worthy of interacting with and having friends, they are more likely to naturally reach out and become more approachable to their peers. When they make an honest effort to put themselves out there, they will likely find more success with their social-emotional well being. For those that are not particularly artistically inclined, it is still important to explore the artistic world. I remember going through a phase where I neglected my artistic abilities because I believed that they weren't a worthy pursuit because it wasn't something 'intellectual' or 'impressive'. My identity was almost entirely centered around attempting to be seen as smart because the very few times I was praised for being smart, it was a natural high that I attempted to chase over and over again. When my grades faltered due to burnout, my self confidence plummited. It is important for gifted children to realize that their worth is not only tied to their academic achievements, but also their own personal goals and hobbies that they enjoy. Through art therapy I plan to help gifted children build their confidence in themselves, expand their views on their self-worth outside of academics, and that will naturally lead them to become happier, more confident, and more likely to engage in prosocial behavior.

My favorite piece of art is Kneeling Man Embracing Standing Woman by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. The first time I saw this sculpture, it drew me in. Seeing the man so desperately clinging to the woman, I couldn't help but feel the emotion in the piece. In my opinion, it displays one of man's earliest and most primal desires. The desire to be held, loved, and wanted. It appears as if the man is at his lowest point, perhaps drowning so deep in his love and desire for the woman that he feels the need to be as close to her as possible. He feels the need to drop to his knees and worship her in the same way one would worship a goddess, and maybe she is a goddess in his eyes. That raw emotion is beautiful and it brings out a mildly erotic air about the piece as well. From the nakedness both share to the devotion the man appears to hold for the woman in front of him, it is not hard to think of this sculpture as a monument to the vulnerability and closeness that becoming intimate with someone can bring. It causes an ache to form in my chest as I observe these two lovers in their intimate and desire filled embrace.

Mental health is an extremely important issue that needs to be dealt with, but it is not a simple problem to be solved. The way that everyone experiences mental illness is different and because of that, no one solution will fix every mental illness for every person. Despite that, there is a simple way to help those that are mentally ill. No matter what attempt you make, it all starts with two simple skills: observation and acknowledgment. One must be able to observe those around them. That is the first step in helping someone who is struggling. Without the next step, however, observation is useless. Once you observe someone and notice that they might be needing help, you have to acknowledge that fact. You cannot help someone who is struggling without acknowledging that they need help. These days, speaking about mental health is becoming less taboo, but there are still stigmas around the topic. Still, if someone is struggling with their mental health, knowingly or not, asking them if they are alright and pointing out the behaviors that they might be exhibiting could be the wake-up call that they need. For example, I used to struggle with trichotillomania. I would repeatedly rip the hair out of my scalp, subconsciously searching for relief through the pain I would feel. I had a fifth-grade teacher ask me if I was alright because she noticed not only the clumps of hair at my feet but also the growing bald spot on my head. Without her noticing and acknowledging the fact that I had an issue, I was able to reach out to my therapist and seek help. I now no longer pull my hair out because someone took the time to observe and acknowledge that I needed help.

I have struggled my entire life with mental illnesses. I started displaying the characteristics of a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) at the age of two, and by the time I was in elementary school I was talking about my 'germaphobia'. Middle school was around the time that I was formally diagnosed with OCD, anxiety, depression, and trichotillomania. I went through a series of counselors, therapists, medications, and different techniques to ease the struggle those mental illnesses had on my daily life. I will write the mental disorder that I have been able to manage the best. Trichotillomania. Trichotillomania is a mental disorder where the sufferer has a compulsive urge to pull out their hair. I'm not quite sure where I picked the habit up, but when it was at its worst in early middle school. I would pull so much hair out that there would be piles of hair next to my desk, as well as a bald spot forming on the top of my head. I didn't realize how bad my habit was until my fifth-grade teacher pulled me aside one day and asked if I was alright, because she had noticed the piles of hair as well as the bald spot forming on my head. It was a shock to me. I had been going to a counselor for my OCD, anxiety, and depression at that point and I had mentioned to her that I enjoyed the pain and feeling of pulling my hair out from a certain spot on my head, but I had never thought that it could lead to something like a bald spot that others could see. I was distraught and brought it up to my counselor, where we immediately began to talk about it more openly. We talked about it during our sessions and had me draw a representation of trichotillomania and name it. It was important for me to do this as it allowed me to separate myself from my mental illness. I am not my mental illness and my mental illnesses do not define me. I began to work on different coping skills. At my counselor's suggestion, I would instead gently press on my scalp with a mechanical pencil's graphite. This would offer me the relief of the slight pain while I wouldn't continue to damage my scalp and make the bald spot any larger, and eventually, I found that I no longer would absent-mindedly reach up and pluck a hair or two out when I got stressed. Even now, going into my senior year of high school, I find my scalp tingling if I think about it for too long, but I have yet to pull one more hair out of my head. I was able to achieve this because of two simple things; I had someone who cared about me enough to point out that I was damaging myself and I had open and honest communication with my counselor. Now, I always talk to my therapist about any issues I have, no matter how embarrassing it may be. Overcoming my trichotillomania has been an important stepping stone for me in the way of taking care of myself and living my best life. It has shown me that no matter what, even tasks that seem Sisyphean now can be solved with enough hard work and support from those around me. When I'm feeling overwhelmed by my other mental illnesses, I think back on my trichotillomania. I remember that I can overcome anything, and that helps me clear my mind.