Maya's Story

"Throughout my life I have always been a happy person. My positive attitude and outlook on life helped me excel in school, sports, and clubs. My struggles with mental health started at the young age of 13 when I found out my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Watching someone you love go through something as terrible as cancer is extremely difficult. In that hard time one of the most frustrating parts was that I did not know how to express my emotions. I put all of those emotions into my public school art class. I would doodle, paint, draw without reason. I started feeling more and more like myself through this process. In my darkest times, when I thought there was no way to feel better, the arts have saved me. 

My goal is to educated as many people as possible about the benefits of the arts. I hope by sharing my story, I can help other people that may be having their own struggles. Creating Art for All is just one step in my advocacy for the arts. The arts are for everyone and it is my mission to share that message with the entire state of Michigan. "