Celebrating the Art of Hope
About the Collection
The Art of Mental Health collection is a collaborative effort between Publicis Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest mental health non-profit. This holiday season, Publicis Health commissioned NAMI ambassador, mental health advocate, and emerging artist Simon Auerbach to create custom works of art around the themes of hope, togetherness, and mental health. These limited-edition pieces showcase the powerful role creativity can play in processing and overcoming struggles and adversity in mental health and in life. We hope they leave you feeling inspired and more connected to yourself, your loved ones, and the world around you this holiday season.
We also invite you to download the Publicis Health + NAMI Self-Care Guide for the Holidays. Wishing you a happy, healthy, and restorative holiday season from Publicis Health and NAMI.
The Art of Hope
In my painting “Hope,” a shy young child dreams of chasing a leaf from his favorite tree. As he does, time goes on and he becomes a young man.
The only thing that has changed beside his age is his sense of self. Although he has challenges, he takes comfort in that he has worked hard to be this happy, and to be himself.
Through trials and tribulations, he has learned to take care of himself and has been honest about his needs. This is something we aren’t all taught to do, but it is something we can all learn.
Seasons change, and years feel both long and short. We can never know the future, which is why it’s so important to have hope that things can change for the better.
The Art of Mental Health
I made this image while thinking about how mental health matters, regardless of your surroundings. Growing up in NYC, nature has been limited, but I took what I could get. Nature has always helped me understand that caring for myself is vital.
Humans, like all animals, need some sort of enjoyment. Even plants bask in the sunlight. However, given our brains complexity, we seek more than just the warmth of enjoyment, but joy and passion as well. That’s where creativity and the arts come in.
It’s important to have passions in our lives that are not necessarily needed, but that allow us to enjoy and take pride in life and our own skills. Rather than just finding a purpose, be your own purpose, and have life itself be that meaning.
The earbuds convey internal experience, because not everyone can hear what’s playing, so it’s sort of like being in a world of your own. Also, earbuds and headphones are something a lot of neurodivergent people use for various reasons, and something anyone can use to find relief from the external world.
The Art of Togetherness
For this piece I was inspired by Henri Matisse’s “The Dance.” This painting has joyful movement that I channeled for mine, titled “Togetherness.”
On one hand, in times of stress we grab on to others. On the other, we hold on to ourselves, hiding our pain in silence. There is a balance which we are all capable of finding.
Reaching out to people is rough, which is why we should be reminded to be patient with ourselves. Falling is still flying; it takes a minute to grab someone’s hand, but once you do, you’ll either have a chain of resistance against your anxieties or you simply won’t be falling alone.
What I tried to capture with this image is trust, not blind faith, but faith with open eyes and kind hearts. If one person can hold onto two people, that is a good start to helping more of us heal and grow. Landing happens eventually, and with a good support system, we can make it softer for all of us.
About the Artist
Simon Auerbach is a young artist, mental health advocate, and NAMI ambassador from New York City. He is a recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts in NYC, working in a wide variety of styles. Simon looks forward to continuing his education into graduate school to become an art therapist for kids with disabilities.
Follow Simon on Instagram here.
