AUSTIN, Texas — This year has brought the idea of taking care of mental health to the front of a lot of people's minds. Now one local group is hoping they can bring mental health tools to some kids, using murals.
Something as simple as a painting can be cathartic and help brightens others' days.
Artist Feebee and her partner on this project, Niz, are creating a full building mural on South Congress Avenue.
"It gives you a voice and an opportunity to be seen," said Niz.
"It's going to be really fun, really positive, something that when someone is walking by they're going to want to stop and enjoy the entire wall," said Feebee.
The entire wall and the entire building are meant to grab your attention.
"It's really meant to get people to stop and take in more of what's going on here and find the deeper meaning," added Feebee.
PHOTOS: Kindness Campaign South Congress mural
"We're talking about the learning Kindness Campaign and here at my school how we've implemented them with our third fourth- and fifth-grade classes," said Maria Cruz, the literacy coach at Shadowglen Elementary in Manor ISD.
That mural downtown, paid for by the Kindness Campaign, is used to raise money. That then helps students in schools across Central Texas, with emotional and mental health workbooks.
"You get to write different things and express your feelings or make up stories. The page that I'm writing on right now ... the prompt for it says 'describe your current mood,'" said one of the students.
"Definitely leads them in that way, to become better to each other, to be kind," said Cruz.
"If I feel a certain way in the morning and I get to write in this book it can make me feel better," said the student.
It's a way to get their thoughts out. For the artists, the painting allows them to get their thoughts out too.
"I like to choose projects that are meaningful to me," said Niz. "Helping to create resources has a lot to do with it."
"The actual painting on the wall is when I can focus on nothing but putting color in front of me, and that's where I can get lost – time becomes a blur. I blink and like two hours have passed, and I'm like, 'Where did that time go?'" said Feebee. "I think it's so important for everybody to have that thing [they] can find and do that time is a blur for them too."
Finding something as simple as painting can help brighten someone's day.
"I really feel like public art really uplifts communities and it's so important," said Feebee.
If you would like to support the Kindness Campaign, you can do so by visiting its website.
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