Written by Hannah S., 2025 Magnify Voices Artist
“Express yourself, be who you are.” Those were the last words I spoke when I stepped off the Magnify Voices celebration stage, after being honored with the People’s Choice Award for my painting, Conformity. A few years ago, if you had told me I’d be sharing my story, and the reality of mental health struggles with hundreds of people, I would have laughed in disbelief. Yet here I am, grateful for the chance to shine a light on the battles so many fight in silence.
When I first submitted my painting into the Magnify Voices Expressive Art Contest, I thought I would simply be able to share my story and an important message with those who viewed it at the gallery. I never imagined I would be awarded the People’s Choice Award, give a speech to hundreds of people, and now, write this blog.
Personally, I used to struggle in silence. I was surrounded by people who would judge, make fun of, or hurt me mentally. I was so used to people saying negative things about me that I really started believing them. My self-esteem went down the drain, and I changed everything about myself just to fit in and be “normal” like everybody else. After many years of letting my mental health control me, I realized I didn’t want to keep wearing a mask every day. I realized that life has so many more possibilities and opportunities if you just start being true to yourself. Although this period of my life was tragic, I am still glad it happened, because without it, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
Before I heard about Magnify Voices from one of my teachers at school, I thought I would never be able to talk about the obstacles that I faced every day. I thought I would burden people with my struggles, but now, ever since I had the chance to speak about the pressure the world can put on you, I have been deeply interested in public speaking and advocating for mental health awareness, bringing these problems out of the dark and into the light.
When I was creating my painting, I felt like I couldn’t put my feelings into pictures. My hardships felt too complex, and I worried people wouldn’t understand the message I was trying to convey. When I was younger, I thought I was so different from everyone else, which led me to make the main subject (a self-portrait of me) a color on the opposite side of the color wheel from the skin tones you see every day. This shows how separate I felt from everyone else. I also painted hands on either side of my head and face, pushing and pulling my features, trying to shape me into someone I could never be. I was so glad to realize that so many people related to my piece and understood it as deeply as I do.
I have loved creating art from such a young age. Art has been an important aspect of my life, and I was so excited to see how everyone at Magnify Voices put their life experiences into their art. It meant so much to me. I was truly blown away by how beautiful everyone’s pieces were and the impactful messages behind them. When my parents and I made our way to the auditorium to hear the announcements of the finalists, I was taken back by how many people sat in that room and how they all had gone through some variation of what I did. I realized I was never alone, and that nobody is ever alone.
I was truly shocked when Morgan pulled my painting out while announcing the People’s Choice Award winner. I was so nervous and terrible at public speaking, and on top of that, I had nothing prepared to say! But once I accepted my award, I knew that my struggles would resonate with everyone in that crowd and that the most important thing you can do in life is be yourself. No matter what anybody says about you, the only thing that matters is living for yourself, not other people. Unfortunately, I had to learn that the hard way but now, from my experiences, I can share the way life could look if you stay true to yourself. This experience made me love advocating for mental health, and I look forward to every chance I get to talk about the beautiful things life can bring, even after the ugly parts.
Magnify Voices has given me such a huge opportunity in my life, and I am so grateful to be a part of the journey through others’ struggles and to help shine light through even the darkest periods. This contest has truly made me realize I’m not alone, and you aren’t either. Please never struggle in silence. Find resources that can help you. I truly cannot recommend Magnify Voices Art enough.
If you or someone you know needs immediate support, you can call, text, or chat confidentially with a trained crisis worker 24/7 through 988 at no cost – call/text 988 or chat online at 988Lifeline.org.
To explore non-crisis support and resources, click here.
Learn about Magnify Voices and see past artwork here.