My Neurodivergent Mind Fought Depression With Art and Photography

How creativity became my way through darkness

It wasn’t intentional, but I later saw my late mom and myself as a child in this drawing, bringing back memories of when the school principal called her to complain about me. All drawings by the author.

In the middle of 2022, I found myself in a deep depression. There were many reasons, but the weight of it all left me struggling to function. Nights stretched long and restless, while mornings felt heavy, dragging into the afternoon. When I did wake up, I felt drained, my mind clouded with fog, making even the simplest tasks seem overwhelming. Depression has a way of making the things we once loved feel distant, almost as if they belonged to someone else.

Photography has always been a huge part of my life. As a professional photographer and a professor of photography, I spent years teaching at universities and conducting workshops in schools and colleges across India. But during this period, even picking up my camera felt impossible. The very thing that once brought me so much joy now seemed unreachable.

Interesting how the mind works; this turned out to resemble my parents-in-law. All drawings by the author.

Since I couldn’t bring myself to step outside and take photos, I decided to revisit one of my childhood passions: drawing. I bought art supplies, thinking it might help, but they remained untouched for weeks. The thought of starting again…