Tiff Toff Art

“Give yourself more credit. You’re trying to grow while trying to heal. You’re trying to forgive while trying to grieve. You’re trying to search while trying to let go. And you’re trying to love others while remembering how to love yourself. You’re doing the best you can.” -

“On the days when your trauma is louder than your love, just remember you are more than what has hurt you.” -

“In our world, dear reader, sad and terrible things often happen, though I wish I could tell you otherwise. But strangely wonderful things also occur, and this is the truth that makes life worth living.” ✨-

“The bad days will come, like they often do, but perhaps you will not fret about their arrival quite like you used to. Maybe that’s the secret - all along, it’s been so - that a day is simply allowed to be both. Both glorious and awful, a mixture of sorts, with magical moments and terrible thoughts. I hope you learn to nurture them all, the good and the bad, the big and the small. “ ✨✨

-

I was hospitalised a few years ago. I was on 24/7 su***de watch. I wasn’t allowed to sleep, eat, shower or use the bathroom without constant supervision from a nurse.

During my time there I was allowed to use my iPad (without internet) to draw. This was the only mental escape from the intense supervision and my surroundings. This is one of the pieces I created during my time there. I didn’t have a particular composition in mind, I just remember feeling so broken and lost and just wanted to draw whatever felt right in the moment regardless of the quality or the outcome of the piece.

Art has always been be a coping mechanism for me, a way to process the good, the bad and the ugly in world which rarely makes sense to me. Looking back at this piece of art is hard for me, but it reminds me of how far I’ve come.

Healing is messy, all we can do is our best and try to find people, places and things that bring us moments of joy to help ground us throughout tough times. Sending love and support to anyone struggling with their healing journey 💚

“You are like golden hour, it all glows differently when you’re here.” ✨- butterflies rising

“Align with nature... Magic happens”✨✨
-John Friend

If anyone is interested in a pet portrait please send me a message💛

"Give yourself credit for the ways you’ve grown this year."
—Nicole Addison

artwork by Elesq

I was recently diagnosed PTSD. After living with bipolar disorder and BPD for 8 years now, It felt discouraging to receive a new added diagnosis. I felt like I was going backwards in my healing journey.

But I’m trying to learn that just because my symptoms may feel worse at times , it doesn’t negate the progress that I’ve made overall and that I need to be patient and kind with myself.

I’m beginning to understand that my triggers can help me identify what I need to work on, and I’m hoping that as I begin to learn to understand these PTSD symptoms, it will lead to a better understanding of myself which will be so helpful in the long run.

If anyone from the mental health community has any advice or interesting information about dealing with PTSD, I’d be so grateful if you could leave me a comment or send me a dm 💚

✨

“There’s a legend about a Chinese painter who was asked by the emperor to paint a landscape so pristine that the emperor can enter it. He didn’t do a good job, so the emperor was preparing to assassinate him. But because it was his painting, legend goes, he stepped inside and vanished, saving himself. I always loved that little allegory as an artist. Even when it is not enough for others, if it is enough for you, you can live inside it.” —Ocean Vuong

artwork by instagram.com/k0jad

“Folie à Deux” - anyone else buzzing to see the new joker film!?🤡💚

“I hope that one day your human body is not a jail cell, Instead it’s a sunny 2pm garden with daisies thriving because of self love.” ✨

— Alexa Evangelist

“can we speak in flowers? it will be easier for me to understand.” -Nayyirah Waheed, Salt

Thank you to for the reference photo😊

“You are not the darkness you endured.
You are the light that refused to surrender.”✨ - John Mark Green

End the stigma 🖤

Digital poster I created for GibSams 💚

Gib Sams is a Mental Health Charity. It provides a confidential listening service for people who may be experiencing mental health issues and want to talk about it.

Since being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and Borderline personality disorder at age 18, I began to realise just how prominent the stigma against mental health was and how important raising awareness on this topic is.

There are several ways to volunteer for Gib Sam’s and help out, check out their website for more information https://gibsams.gi

I used the GibSams logo colours for the flowers and butterflies. I wanted the portrait to convey despair, whilst the flowers and butteflies represent hope.💚

“This is my confession. As dark as I am, I will always find enough light to adore you to pieces, with all of my pieces.” 💀🖤 - Johnny Nguyen

New tattoo for a new chapter of life ✨

Exercise and Mental Health💚

Exercise helps me manage my anxiety and helps to put me in a clearer mind frame.

In the past, intense forms of exercise often left me out of breath which mimicked my usual feelings of a panic attack. Also, going to a gym gave me social anxiety. For years I resisted exercising because I was afraid of these feelings.

I’ve now learnt that activities like yoga, walks in nature, swimming and long dog walks are forms of exercising that help my mental health challenges.

I’ve learnt that if I can manage any type of physical activity on the bad days (even though it
feels incredibly hard), it helps to boost my mood by increasing the release of endorphins.

I’m starting to realise that just because I don’t have a gym membership or a strict fitness plan to follow that it doesn’t make my efforts any less valuable.

Following my own fitness routine has made all the difference. I’m learning it’s about being kind to myself- learning about what works for me and not judging myself by other peoples standards.💚

New Commission pieces 😽✨

If anyone is interested in a pet portrait, please message me directly!

For every pet portrait I create, £5 will be donated to AINF! Animals in Need Foundation - AINF

✨

“Courage, dear heart”
-C.S. LEWIS

“It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offence when no offence was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf, is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper.”

“He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, because his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, because both of the wolves try to dominate my spirit.”

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which wolf will win, Grandfather?”
The Grandfather smiled and said, “The one I feed.”

“The Two Wolves” - Cherokee Parable 🐺

New Commission piece 🐾

If anyone is interested in a pet portrait, please message me directly!

For every pet portrait I create, £5 will be donated to AINF! () 🐶

Commission piece 🐾

Scotty for ✨

Dogs have always been a huge part of my life - this is why I love to create pet portraits. I naturally connect with animals effortlessly, whereas I often struggle with people as I have social anxiety.

Since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, a huge part of my journey has been working closely with the /Animals in Need Foundation. I foster abandoned dogs with the aim of finding them their loving, forever homes.

I find the company of dogs therapeutic. My dogs even help me manage my mental health symptoms such as hallucinations, panic attacks and sensory overloads. 💚

If anyone is interested in a pet portrait, please message me directly! For every pet portrait I create, £5 will be donated to AINF!

“Take Me As I Am, Whoever I Am” - Modern Love: Season 1, Episode 3

In this episode of “Modern Love”, Anne Hathaway plays a woman who is trying to navigate her diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder whilst living a “normal life”. I thought the writing for this episode very realistically portrays the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, I could really relate to her experience which is why I wanted to create this piece.

SWIPE ➡️➡️
Swipe for progress photographs and notes to give you a insight into the way I create my digital portraits

For every pet portrait I create, £5 will be donated the Animals In Need Foundation (a registered Charity ).

If you’re interested in a custom pet portrait please send me a private message😊

🌙✨