Opening Minds 2025 - Unveiling the Mind

You're invited to the Artist Reception of Opening Minds 2025: Unveiling the Mind — an evening of art, conversation, and community. This event will be held on Friday, May 2^nd from 5:00pm-8:00pm at The Bunker SLO, 810 Orcutt Rd. in San Luis Obispo.

Join us as we kick off this powerful exhibit exploring the intersection of mental health and identity. Come meet the artists, enjoy light refreshments, and be part of a space that celebrates resilience, creativity, and the strength of the human spirit.

We’re proud to feature artist Andrea Carman, whose work Refractions offers a deeply personal view into the healing journey. “The same sunlight appears differently on a rainy day, when filtered through the trees, or from underwater,” Andrea shares. “When I reflect through the prism of my own healing journey, I see a diverse spectrum of inner parts and the unique memories they hold that make me who I am today. As I work layer by layer, I continue to unearth parts buried under trauma and discover others that finally feel safe to express themselves for the first time. I persevere through tides of numbness and depression and with each cycle I find a greater capacity for joy and peace.”

All are welcome — we’d love to see you there!

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to dive a little deeper with Andrea through an interview. Here is what she had to say:

Can you introduce yourself and share how your identity has shaped you as an artist?

My name is Andrea Carman, I was born in Colombia, but I spent most of my childhood moving from one country/state to another due to my Dad's job. Repeatedly changing schools and environments made it difficult to fit in, and I never felt like I belonged in any one place.

I eventually moved to California, where I got my degree in Animation at Cal State Fullerton. In my early 20s I suffered sudden, severe health issues and had multiple hospitalizations. I was eventually diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that required aggressive treatment. It was brutal and completely transformed my life.

However, with sheer determination I overcame the hardships and was able to graduate, and marry the love of my life. We settled here on the Central Coast, where I have found so much peace surrounded by our beautiful ocean, hills, and trees. As a result of my healing journey, my work shifted from the video game industry to focus primarily on spiritual and nature-oriented works.

Will you tell us about what got you into doing art - how you started, how it helped you, and how you have developed as an artist.

Growing up, whenever I visited my Grandmother, she always encouraged me to do art and surprise myself—even if that meant painting on her walls! My parents enrolled me in oil painting classes, where I learned to see beauty beyond the surface. I learned to find colors hidden in the grays and shadows all around me.

Art quickly became an important outlet for me to express myself, even in places where I didn't speak the language. It became a core part of my identity that stayed constant no matter where I went.

Nature has always been a key influence for my art and I enjoy capturing the essence of my surroundings on paper. A single tree is a treasure trove of inspiration, from the overall shape down to the details of the trunk and individual leaves. I love finding patterns in the flora and wildlife around me, and putting them on paper feels very meditative. I have found much inner peace by making art out of patterns. There are so many vibrant colors and motifs throughout nature and I love finding new ways to incorporate them into my work.

What drew you to participate in this show focusing on the connection between mental health and identity?

When I saw this art show about the connection between mental health and identity, it immediately resonated with me and my own struggles. A CPTSD episode can be triggered at any time—without warning—and the resulting freeze state can lasts for hours, days, or weeks, deeply affecting the ability to function in the pressure of today's world. Sometimes I felt like the depression would never end, and I feared what it meant for my future.

With the support of my husband, my therapist, and my spiritual mentors, art has been crucial to my healing journey. Using creativity to express ourselves on paper, can help our inner states to be seen and be integrated. It's a powerful tool for processing what cannot be put into words, and brings light and healing to the parts of ourselves that are in severe distress. This process allows us to reclaim ourselves—our identity is so much bigger than any mental illness or label!

I know that I am not alone in this and I hope my story and my art can help others find the courage to express themselves too.

In your view, how can art help us better understand or express the relationship between mental health and identity? What role do you think creativity plays in these conversations?

I found a lot of strength once I acknowledged that while my mental health is a part of who I am, it does not define me. I believe my identity is undefinable. There are days that I feel empowered and bold, while other days I want to hide under a rock. I've learned to embrace the full spectrum of what it means to be human, and it gives me freedom to be present, to explore, and to be open to new ideas and experiences. Most importantly, it gives me permission to just be. As humans, we go through such complex, intricate experiences that no quantity of "boxes" can ever capture the identity of a person. We have immense capacity to hold multiple, even contradictory, truths about ourselves at the same time.
 
In that respect, art is a wonderful medium that can help us connect to those parts of us that influence our life, connect to the parts that we don't understand, connect to the parts that are aggressive and violent, and those that are fragile and beautiful. All parts have the potential to be cathartic. It all boils down to how we decide to view and interact with these parts of ourselves. Just by putting something down on paper, art can make these parts become tangible, allowing some of the weight and influence they carry to be released. Next time you go through an event that triggers this part, you'll have more understanding and compassion towards yourself, and that makes life so much easier. You don't have to be your own enemy... life is challenging enough as it is!

What would you say to someone who’s struggling with their mental health and is considering art as a form of expression or healing? Any advice or encouragement for those who may be starting to explore creativity?

I say to go for it! You don't have to be a "good artist", you don't have to wait to learn how to draw, or paint, or write! Just start with the tools that you are the most comfortable with, and if you are not sure which medium to use then what a beautiful opportunity to explore and see what you like. The most important thing is that you are creating this art for yourself, and that makes it the most powerful kind of art. Treat this process as an exploration of yourself. I recommend taking some time to set the intention of having no judgement and no criticism before you begin creating. Instead, invite compassion and understanding. Trust your gut and give space for whatever is revealed, whatever it may be.

Creating your own art can give you valuable insight into who you are. It can help you find self-understanding and compassion, no matter your diagnosis or what mental troubles you struggle with. Only you know your own story, your own reality, and the experiences that you have lived through. You don’t need to be an artist to explore this creative realm. Create art to honor your life, to validate your own experiences. Absolutely everyone is capable of exploring their inner world through creativity.