I was living in Green Acre Trailer Park when I first experienced the symptoms of my mental illness. I began to have headaches, vision problems, and a burning sensation in my eyes. I couldn't sleep. I stayed awake for five to six days at a time. I was hospitalized and began to realize that something was wrong. I began receiving treatment at Riverbend Mental Health Center in 1982. We discussed my experiences as a child as well as the physical abuse received from my mother.
 
Art relaxes me and calms me down. Expressing myself takes me to a better place; a better world. It puts me in a world where there is no pain or sorrow. I like to sketch, color, and paint. I enjoy all forms of art.