The healing power of art

Siah Kornegay has faced mental health challenges since early childhood. Art has been a constant source of solace and expression throughout her mental health journey. Siah explains, “Art is the one place where things make sense.”

Since 2018, Siah has been receiving therapy at Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services. She attends therapy groups and individual counseling. When her therapist, Shelby Ryan, learned of Siah’s love of art, she incorporated it into their sessions. Shelby encouraged Siah to use art to help her navigate her mental health struggles and find confidence.

As a testament to Siah’s growth, Shelby suggested that she paint the group therapy room.

“I paint to release my anxieties,” Siah says. “When I'm painting, like when I did this mural, I was going through a lot personally. So, coming in here, painting and just releasing that, knowing that I'm going to create something that will make someone else smile, makes me feel better and I forget about all those bad things.”

The once-white room is transformed with a vibrant mural depicting flowers, the phrase “Believe in yourself,” and a woman made of plants, symbolizing growth.

The impact of Siah’s artwork is undeniable.

“We get compliments all the time from people here,” Shelby says. “Her work is just beautiful, and it's been such a great inspiration for her and her mental health.”

Siah continues to attend group therapy at Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services. When she’s feeling down, looking at her mural inspires her. She hopes others see the painting and are reminded of their own beauty and resilience.

A brighter future

Encouraged by the Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services team, Siah has embraced the opportunity to share her art with others. The staff is impressed by how far she has come in her mental health and confidence, and her willingness to step outside her comfort zone to showcase her artistic talents.

In 2021, Siah’s chalk art at a Juneteenth event caught the attention of Sandusky city officials. This led to collaborations on various public art projects. Siah currently has a piece called “Mother's Eye” hanging in city hall. Additionally, she has created murals for Viewpoint Apartments and recently transformed an electrical box on Water Street into a vibrant piece of art.

One of Siah’s latest pieces, “Beautiful Disaster,” is a powerful expression of her struggles with mental health and triumph over adversity. The team at Firelands Health encouraged her to submit it to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2024 Gallery of Hope. The canvas depicts her face adorned with words that reflect her darkest moments, such as “depression,” “helpless” and “trap.” However, amid these words are messages of hope and resilience, including “believe in yourself,” “happiness” and "recovery,” to remind herself that healing and progress are possible. If you look closely, you can see the leaves of the Firelands Health logo in one of her eyes.

Siah is a versatile artist who explores all mediums, from digital art to city murals. She loves sharing her creativity through digital art, pieces commissioned by the City of Sandusky and fun children's room murals. One of her favorite things to create is faces, which you can see throughout her social media channels. She has videos of her entire process of creating commissioned portraits as well as for-fun portraits of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Simone Biles.

When asked about her plans for the future, Siah simply states, “I want to keep drawing and painting, until I can't paint anymore.”