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What is this place?

  • Huh? …Where am I?

  • You blink awake to see soft pink walls and pastel buttons floating midair. Everything looks… cute?

  • A website?

  • How is this... possible?

  • Just as panic begins to stir in your mind, a fuzzy green bear appears before you.

  • The scent of fresh peppermint leaves, musk and cashmere fills the air, as he slowly approaches.

  • As he raises a paw to wave, a mint leaf jiggles atop his large head, and his wooly round ears perk up contentedly.

  • His eyes sparkle, his smile is that of an old friend.

  • His comforting presence puts your mind at ease and you feel your anxiety has completely dissolved.

  • One message is very clear:

  • You are safe here.

  • Without a word, he holds out a soft green paw.

  • You don’t hesitate.

  • You take it, heart racing with excitement, giddy at whatever adventure awaits.

  • You're ready.

  • Lead the way, my fuzzy friend.

about moi

The basicsHi! My name is Mariya! I am a self-taught digital artist from B.C Canada. I am 26 years old, and I live with my husband and our cat-son, Romeo.My interests include arts and crafts of all forms, like needle felting, painting, working with clay and building/designing miniatures!I also enjoy nature, taking walks, collecting cool rocks and gems, watching the rain and sitting by the lake.I love collecting cute things, anything Sanrio, Rilakkuma, Sailor Moon, Tamagotchi...etc.Mental health and wellness are very important topics to me, so you may see me posting about it on Instagram.My ultimate goal with my art is to reduce stigma around mental health and encourage others to feel comfortable to talk about their own struggles, using their strengths in creative ways, as well as normalizing the idea of reaching out for help when needed.~~~~

My personal history with artArt has always been a very important part of my life, I've always found myself picking it up and putting it back down throughout my life.It wasn't until 2+ years ago when my life shifted in a major way; I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and then shortly later, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and most recently, PCOS.These struggles -albeit very difficult- allowed me to start to learn about myself, start to develop a sense of self and begin to heal hurts and traumas I had carried with me for many years.It was through these adversities that I was able to give myself permission to create on a more regular basis.~~~~When did I realize I wanted to make art a more significant part of my life?The first time I picked up a pencil to draw again was during a one months stay at a psychiatric facility. I drew my cat, who I missed so much while being away in hospital. This was the first time I had sat down to draw in a very long time.I had to grow up very quickly, leaving home at 17, I felt so much pressure and responsibility. I tucked my passion for creativity deep into the corners of my mind to focus on going to college, doing my practicum, and then going on to become a front-line worker amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic as a support worker in a high-intensity, low barrier women's shelter.Although I was deeply passionate about my work, my whole life revolved around it. I wanted to be taken seriously in my field, and I had little brain power and energy for anything else.My lack of support for myself started to become evidently clear. I had no hobbies, and working graveyard shift (midnight until morning) provided me with little social interaction, and without realizing it, I had set myself up for the collapse of my mental health, a severe burnout and a long road to recovery.This simple drawing had sparked the beginning of my art journey forward, breaking through the ideals of perfectionism and starting to learn the idea of drawing what I wanted.Once I left the hospital, I held onto that comfort I felt when allowing myself to create, and opened an Instagram for my digital art. This was a huge deal as I was absolutely terrified of being vulnerable and posting my art publicly.I still fall into those feelings of insecurity, even more so as someone with BPD; I experience imposter syndrome often, I feel that my work isn't good enough to be posted, or that I'm not creative/talented/etc enough.I've accepted these things as a part of myself, and try my best to practice self-compassion.

come say hi

here are my current socials!