AUSTIN -- Sarah Guber said she didn’t leave her house for months.
“When I felt like I had nothing else, I started painting,” said Guber. “Sometimes just to get through the depression at the end of my days, to keep myself busy, to keep my mind from wandering.”
She grew up watching her grandmother paint and continued the hobby when she needed it most.
“It was simple and easy, and I felt so overwhelmed by my own mental illness,” she explained. “I felt like there was nothing I could do.”
However, Guber's canvass of choice isn’t one most expect -- rocks.
“Eventually, as I wanted to start challenging my social anxiety, I started using the rocks to go outside,” Guber said. “I found it really hard to leave my apartment and talk to people."
Guber said she struggled with depression and, eventually, thoughts of suicide.
“But as I started to feel better, I started going further away from my home,” Guber said. “I started leaving them at grocery stores I was able to make it to, and book stores, and libraries and parks. It’s been that really small thing that can keep me going some days.”
She said she hopes the rocks provide some positivity and encouragement to keep going.
“The rocks, I don't know if they'll carry on,” said Guber. “But what I hope is that this inspires other people in Austin to find ways to challenge their own mental illness and find creative outlets.”
If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide or depression, click here for a list of resources around the area.