Therapeutic Watercolour Sanctuary | Childhood Resilience Art

When the world tells you that you don't fit in, where do you go?

For me, the answer was always imagination. Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, I often felt set apart — labelled as different, bullied for my sensitivities, and unsure where I belonged. But inside, another world bloomed. My imagination became my refuge, a place where kindness lived, where friends I invented kept me company when real ones were scarce.

This is the story behind my painting They Were There All Along. The lone figure in the centre is me — at once vulnerable and luminous, held by colour and light. The saturated brushwork mirrors the turbulence of sensory overload, while the softer violets and golds carry the feeling of comfort and belonging.

What I love most about this piece is that it doesn't deny pain — it acknowledges it, and yet shows that even in the storm, there is sanctuary.

Collectors tell me they see themselves here. Some see their inner child, others see resilience forged in silence, and some feel an invitation to honour the safe places they too built in their minds.

For anyone who has ever felt out of place, this painting offers a reminder: you are not alone. You carry your sanctuary with you.

View the painting in the Sanctuaries of the Mind collection in our gallery section, where you can learn more about this deeply personal watercolour and its journey from childhood loneliness to artistic sanctuary.