Shamans performing a ‘safe travels’ ritual for our group at Tiwanaku, Bolivia

*an ongoing series of quotations – mostly from artists, to artists – that offers wisdom, inspiration, and advice for the sometimes lonely road we are on

Mental health not only exists on a spectrum but it is also often culture-specific. Revered healers and sages in one country are the ‘crazies’ in another. Context determines whether we will be treated for illness, or simply considered ‘eccentric’ and left alone. Many who struggle to hide their differences, go against their own nature, and contort themselves into an acceptable demeanor to fit in, until they break down or die, undiagnosed.

Kate Kretz in Art From your Core: A Holistic Guide to Visual Voice”