Ink drops. Watch a drop of ink flow freely, ever-changing, across the xuan paper. Each drop awaits its turn as the previous drop flows across the paper- this continues for hours. Zentangle – finding one’s own rhythm by painting on paper slowly and repetitively. It’s like the rhythm in music, calming and natural. One can sense that each stroke has been allowed to unfold as it should, and between the slowly formed strokes one can see the heart too unfolds. The focus is transferred to the tip of the pen; Revealing one’s inner self with every stroke. That inner dialogue is a routine Carroll has been practising for over three years. She likes to unwind her emotions this way: being in touch with her feelings and thoughts, and connecting with her inner world to reach a certain sense of security and fulfilment. Carroll feels that taking care of herself helps her alleviate negative emotions and improve her sense of well-being mentally and physically. She hopes in doing so, she will be able to accept and be at peace with herself, and show herself the same kindness and empathy as she does to her friends and peers. Carroll believes to forcefully suppress thoughts and memories will conversely increase the frequency of their occurrence- making them more persistent and lingering. One event brings more than one emotion and thought; Different thoughts bring about different emotions; They take a long time to resolve. When one is unable to deal with or tries to avoid facing their emotions it is easy to get caught in a vicious cycle. In the past Carroll had sought answers from the outside world, hoping for some kind of solace but had never tried to pay attention to her own inner voice, her own thoughts. After different attempts, she has learned to lead herself safely into a calm state. In addition, she learned to deal with her own emotions and understand her inner state of mind. This conversation with herself has both strengthened and softened her; Learning to be in a state of stillness has opened up her mind. While realising her own insignificance she also feels an immense sense of hope. When Carroll is going through emotional stress, she will create a comfortable environment to improve her sense of well-being. She knows that the current situation is beyond her control, so there’s little point in worrying. Instead, she will focus on creating a comfortable environment that belongs to herself- to replace any stress with a sense of well-being and security to improve her mental and physical health.