“Inner Strength” in Urdu.

Acrylic on watercolour paper, 6″ x 4″

Digital prints available in the same size.  

This piece is part of a Mental Health Greeting Card series aimed to counter ongoing stigma in discussing mental health, including (but not limited to) South Asian communities.  Change is happening, but more is needed.  These cards can be a gift to oneself, or to a loved one when experiencing a hard time: be it anxiety, depression, trauma, a headspace one cannot describe in words, suicidal thoughts, etc.  These cards are a way to express love, as well as to assert that reaching out during these times is a sign of strength (whether to a trusted a friend, therapist, family member, community organization, hotline, etc).  These cards aim to affirm that being vulnerable and honest take a lot courage and grit.

Note: The use of the word “inner strength” does not imply that those who face a hard time reaching out do not have inner strength, but rather places focus on encouraging people to reach out when going through hard times in the context of ongoing stigma in discussing mental health.