Tasneem Arif

Everyone who knew me as a teenager saw me as the “happy-go-lucky” kind of person. I just wanted to enjoy life and loved socializing in my community. I was surrounded by a loving family and an extended family of cousins. However, when I was 21, I moved to the USA, and life changed drastically. Cut off from friends, family, and a supportive community, I faced extreme loneliness. I lacked the sense of belonging that comes from being part of a close-knit group.

For more than ten years, I struggled with anxiety and depression. For most of those years, my condition was normalized and went undiagnosed. Despite being naturally positive and extroverted, I found it hard to experience joy and happiness. I lost myself in the process.

Determined to reclaim my life, I started working on myself. Although I felt like I had read every book on “happiness,” life itself became my greatest teacher. I learned to take complete responsibility for my own happiness and to accept myself as I am. I became my own best friend.

I found solace in art—art saved me. It was my therapy. The bright colors of flowers lifted my spirits, and I found comfort in nature. I developed a love for hiking to waterfalls, immersing myself in the beauty and tranquility of the na...

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