Art can be an amazingly therapeutic outlet of creative expression for individuals struggling with mental health and addiction. Manny Mendez, co-founder of the organization Art of Recovery and leader of All In Solution’s art therapy program in Boynton Beach can attest to this fact personally. Creating art, sharing it, and teaching others to explore different mediums for expression have all been instrumental in his personal recovery and growth.

In his own words, Manny says, “Art has been the only thing that has really allowed me to soul search. And while I do not always find the answers that I was looking for, it gives me some peace. And, for a person like me who could never achieve that, it’s huge. I’ve been painting consecutively now for 8 years and 9 months. In that time, I have also healed, and continue to use art as my first form of self expression when trying to convey a message to the world. And that message is really about raising awareness about substance use disorder, and wanting to empower the youth. It was as a youth that I found this gift that later helped me through the loss of 11 years of my life, and later became my PURPOSE.”