By: Megan Doyle
To give you a little bit of a back story behind the meaning of my mural and how it came about, I’ll take you back to 2020. During that year, I was struggling. Not only were we going through a global pandemic, but I had recently dropped all my “friends”, I was dealing with severe anxiety and couldn’t see my therapist for a few months because of COVID, and I felt so alone. I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt that way during that time. In hindsight, that period stands out as one of the hardest times in my life. I was worried about my mental health.
Mental health has always been extremely important to me, particularly because depression and anxiety run in my family. I’ve always been big on reaching out to others who need it as well as me reaching out for help when I need it. This involves messaging my therapist or having a talk with my parents. I have never and will never not talk about mental health. In this day in age, things can become very overwhelming very quickly. It is important to check in on those who seem down. Even those who seem happy and have it all together may be struggling too.
Now, let’s fast forward about six months…
I decided to enter Lewis and Clark’s Community. College interactive mural contest. Being my first time entering a contest, not knowing if I would win, I took a chance. Looking back, I am so glad I did. Not only did I win, but I was able to share my art and the meaning behind it with everyone. You can see my mural hanging up outside of the Commons – a big bright and colorful wildflower mural with a powerful message behind it. This mural reminds me of how far I’ve come mentally and how far I’ve come artistically.
My piece “Grow Through What You Go Through” was inspired by a quote I once saw that stuck with me even though I didn’t fully understand it at the time. After going through what I’ve gone through and seeing how much I’ve grown and how much stronger I’ve become, the meaning behind the quote is so much clearer now. Think of the bad and difficult things that happen in your life as water in a watering can. Now think of the good things that happen as wildflowers waiting to blossom and grow. Sometimes in life, you must go through difficult times to get to the good. In the midst of it all, not only are you going through the difficult things but you’re also growing through it along the way. Life can be stressful and it’s not always easy. At times you may feel as though you want to give up. However, by not giving up, you’re growing throughout it all. You are a wildflower! Even though unfortunate things happen in life, as long as you keep going then you will keep growing. So, keep going, water your flowers, and help them grow.
If you’re struggling right now, please don’t be afraid to ask for help. Things will get better even if you can’t see it now. The world is a beautiful place with you in it.
Lewis and Clark is an amazing community college that offers FREE personal counseling services if you need mental health help or just need someone to talk to if you’re feeling down. They offer in-person sessions as well as phone or Zoom calls by appointment. They even offer walk-ins in the event of an emergency. Counseling services are available Monday-Friday. To schedule an appointment, please contact them at (618)468-4121 or taaustin@lc.edu. Please call the 24-hour local crisis hotline at (618)465-4388 or the 24-hour National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you need mental health help.
It is always okay to ask for help and just remember that you’re not the only one struggling. Take some deep breaths, talk to those who love and care about you, and let them know that you are not okay. It’s okay to not be okay.
