Hey, I’m Octophina!

I’ve been smell-blind since I was a toddler. I’ve had an eating disorder and body dysmorphia since my dad’s first suicide attempt when I was 15. I’ve experienced multiple episodes of major depression since my early 20s. My mom struggled with depression on her own when I was a toddler and my dad has battled alcohol addiction for decades. I suffered a miscarriage, and lost a loved one to cancer.

After getting to the edge of suicide, I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder in my early 30s.

But this isn’t my story.

Being creative empowers me to re-sculpt my identity, re-design my reality, and re-write my story.

In addition to being what today’s standards define as “mentally ill,” I’m also a trained journalist, smell-blind food designer and stylist with over a decade of experience in the international food space, certified Mind Body Eating coach by The Institute for the Psychology of Eating, TEDx speaker, and Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneur.

I sold the art I made while recovering from suicidal depression in 2021 as NFTs and the profits supported me for 6 months.

But my history doesn’t define my story. I do.

Creativity is my go-to tool for self-empowerment, which helps me practice self-care, clear out my mental cache, and process difficult emotions and experiences.

This is how I turn my pain into power and use my challenges as catalysts for growth.