Abbie Chatfield & the Quiet Power of Art as Therapy

There’s something quietly radical about choosing to heal in public. 

Not in a loud way. 

Not in a dramatic way. 

But in the deeply human way that says: 

“This is how I’m trying to survive.” 

Abbie Chatfield could keep parts of her life hidden if she wanted to. With a platform as large as hers, she could share only the polished moments — the television career, the podcast success, the curated light. But instead, she has chosen something far rarer. 

Honesty. 

Not the palatable kind. 

The brave kind. 

And lately, that honesty has included something simple and powerful: 

art as therapy. 

Fame Doesn't Protect You From Pain

Abbie has been open, unflinchingly so, about her mental health. On her podcast It’s A Lot, she speaks about anxiety, body image, abandonment issues, trauma, suicidal thoughts — not as titles or buzzwords, but as lived experience. 

Not as something she once went through.

But as something she continues to carry. 

And despite having a voice, a platform, and a career many would envy, she experiences something painfully familiar: isolation. 

Being known does not make you safe. 

Being successful does not make you immune. 

Being visible does not make you less human. 

If anything, it can make you feel more exposed.

Creating Instead Of Collapsing 

In the middle of that exposure, Abbie has turned to art — not to perform, not to impress, not to launch anything — but simply to cope. 

Drawing to calm anxiety. 

Painting to regulate emotion. 

Creating to regain a sense of control when everything feels like too much. 

That’s not reinvention. 

That’s survival. 

Art therapy exists for this exact reason: when talking becomes exhausting and thinking becomes unbearable, creativity gives the nervous system somewhere safer to go. 

It’s not about aesthetics. 

It’s about breathing again. 

It slows the heart. 

It steadies the hands. 

It pulls a person back into their body when their mind feels like it’s running away. 

And when someone discovers a tool that helps them stay? 

That’s something to celebrate. 

Sharing Healing Should Never Be Punished 

There is something profoundly vulnerable about sharing your healing process with the public. 

Especially when that process is messy. 

Especially when it’s unfinished. 

Especially when it’s emotional. 

Creating art as therapy means putting your internal world on display — sometimes before you even understand it yourself. It’s letting people see you mid-figuring-it-out. Mid-struggle. Mid-growth. 

That deserves gentleness. 

Not judgement. 

It takes courage to say: 

“This is what helps me.” 

It takes more courage to show it. 

And yet, instead of encouragement, what so many people offer is critique disguised as commentary. Comparison disguised as opinion. Cruelty disguised as humour. 

The world is far too comfortable being unkind to humans who are simply trying to stay alive in softer ways. 

Even The “Nice” Comments Can Hurt 

Abbie has spoken about something most people never consider: 

When strangers say, “I love you even though other people hate you,” it still plants the word hate into her day. 

It doesn’t feel comforting. 

It feels like a reminder that she is perpetually being judged. 

Humans aren’t designed to carry constant feedback. 

We aren’t built to metabolise thousands of opinions a day. 

We are built for connection. 

For safety. 

For belonging. 

And even words wrapped as kindness can still bruise if they contain a weapon at the centre. 

And in this world - we're all trying to heal.

Art Doesn’t Need Permission 

Art does not need credentials. 

It doesn’t need comparison. 

It doesn’t owe the world skill. 

Sometimes, art simply exists because a heart needed to unload something heavy. 

And when art helps someone manage anxiety… 

That art has already done something extraordinary. 

It doesn’t matter if it hangs in a gallery. 

It doesn’t matter if it sells. 

It doesn’t matter if it impresses. 

What matters is that someone found a way to breathe when they didn’t think they could. 

This Is What Real Advocacy Looks Like 

Mental health advocacy is not inspirational quotes and pretty filters. 

It is: 

• being honest when things hurt 

• asking for help out loud 

• sharing what helps you survive 

• refusing to pretend you’re okay when you’re not 

• showing the scars, not just the outcome 

When Abbie talks about art as part of her mental health toolkit, she isn’t “launching” anything. She is saying: 

"This is how I find my calm, my centre. "

And somewhere out there right now, another person hears that and thinks: 

“Maybe I could try that too.” 

And that is how healing spreads. 

Quietly. 

Softly. 

Bravely. 

If Nothing Else, Let This Be Heard 

Abbie Chatfield is not an idea. 

She is a person. 

A person learning. 

A person coping. 

A person breathing through difficult days just like everyone else. 

Art is not her escape. 

It is her anchor. 

And anyone who dares to share their healing in a world that so often prefers silence deserves compassion — not cruelty. 

If we are going to exist online, in communities, in shared spaces… 

Then let’s at the very least be kind to each other and the healthy ways people find to survive. 

You Are Not Alone 

If this article stirred something in you, take it as a gentle nudge — not to carry it alone. Talk to someone. Write it out. Draw it out. Breathe it out. And when you’re ready, you’ll find more stories and support waiting for you at BTN-Music.club.

You are seen, you are valid, and your story matters.