"In 2016, I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder. Since then, art in conjunction with schema therapy has helped me gain a deep understanding of my internal power struggles, which has paved the way for emotional healing. This illustration represents one side of myself: my octopus or punishing side. It is made up of the internalised attitudes of the people around me when I was growing up and is how I made sense of the world then and my place within it. It makes me feel ashamed, guilty and terrified. But, I’m starting to fight back, armed with a new perspective and with self-compassion. I hope to use my work as a means to communicate the intense cognitive and emotional battles that underpin mental illness, so that I can improve understanding and change perceptions of these conditions and also help others gain insights into their own struggles"
See more of Kathryn's work on her Instagram (@myillustratedmind)