Karen Oida

Hello! I’m Karen, an avid plant enthusiast with a penchant for the arts. I also happen to be a Biological Sciences major. The first inklings of my love for art began with children’s book illustrations and then later made itself more apparent in middle school with the introduction of graphic novels. From there I took off with oil pastels, pencils, pencil crayons, markers, and eventually landing onto watercolours. Art has always been a way for me to put my feelings or thoughts into order and effectively get me to destress. When applied in such a way, art becomes a way that I practice mindfulness. I’ve always found mental health hard to talk about but with the support of friends I’ve become more open and honestly, mental health shouldn’t have to be a taboo topic. This is health we’re talking about! Through the Art of Mindfulness initiative, I aspire to be part of the force that inspires others to strike up conversations about mental health and maybe even lighten the load off someone’s heart.