Art by Breann Diaz

My emotions and mental health deeply influence my art, specifically my anxiety, feelings of emptiness, and not feeling like myself or feeling uncomfortable in my own body. I want people to feel what I was feeling at the time through my work. I find that mixed media helps me convey my feelings the best. It allows me to add many layers, textures, and depth to my pieces. I find it hard to voice what I’m feeling, they feel too big, I get overwhelmed and just shut down. Art helps me express myself and share a part of me that I feel I can’t express effectively, especially when speaking, since I tend to forget things or not explain something like I wanted to. The textures, layers, and scale help me get across what I want to say with my pieces. I like to use mediums that allow me to do that, like charcoal, soft pastels, acrylic paint, modelling paste, and joint compound. I've been creating art ever since I could remember, it has always been a part of me and my identity. It's my outlet for me and helps me better understand my emotions. My art and concepts have grown with me and have helped shape who I am today.