Although you may not be able to tell, I suffer from a handful of mental illnesses, and I have since I was a child. Throughout the years, it has gotten better and worse, always a looming darkness. However, in the past year, I began a path of rediscovery and healing, finally learning to cope and hold onto what little hope I had.

This idea came to me after going to a concert; the band Twenty One Pilots inspired me in an amazing way. They had an era (Blurryface) where Tyler, the lead singer, painted his hands and neck black as a symbolism of insecurity and darkness. They now entered a new era (Trench), where both Tyler and Josh wear yellow tape as a symbol of hope (and awareness). My best friend and I met a handful of people and I decided we should combine both eras, wrapping the lines of hope over the darkness.

On the drive home, I started thinking about just how symbolic it was and how much it represents me, my story and struggle with mental health. So, in this photography project, I wanted to show how I overcame the darkness and, although it’s still there and will probably always exist within me, the hope and burning desire for a better and happier life is now stronger than the darkness (that is all I’ve ever known).

This is my story.