Meet Sylvio Jimenez

We were lucky to catch up with Sylvio Jimenez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sylvio, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

For all of my life I have lived with Bipolar 2 disorder which means that I experience depressive episodes or Hypomanic (mania). This has affected the way I cope with my real word surroundings and how I process stress or overall negative experiences.
I have used art as a coping strategy by being able to express my perspective of what these hypomania or depressive episodes are like to me without having to verbally communicate the way I feel to the general public. This is mainly done through my choice of color pallet vs. the subject mattered that is presented in my paintings. Within my time as an undergrad student I had worked on a year long project called ‘Lo Siento’ (I’m sorry) which was a reflection of my denial of being queered gendered since middle school, my struggles with religion, and not being able to embrace the person I wanted to be. So in a way I’m telling my 14 year old self that I’m sorry that I didn’t pursue to be the individual I was meant to be.
If it weren’t for art, I wouldn’t have been able to overcome that challenge of finding acceptance and create that series which has helped me find closure towards that portion of my life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m a queer-nonbinary painter who is now primarily focused on Latino representation within my artwork through fairy tail inspired illustrations. One of the many beautiful things about painting is that I can switch the directions of my purpose or goals I want to achieve for the benefit of those who feel underrepresented.
As of right now, these past few months I have collected various word of mouth stories from family, friends, and the elderly who wish to express their superstitions, iconic cultural moments that have impacted their lives, and community experiences within their time living in Mexico. Once I feel I’ve collected enough stories I intended to begin a new series within the end of this year or the beginning of 2025.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

One of them is definitely accepting yourself and pursuing closure within certain parts of your life. It’s very hard in the beginning (lots of crying) but once you achieve those two things you’re able to look at life with a fresh pair of lenses.
Also, don’t let go of your hobbies, I know life is busy especially for the younger generation who are fresh out of high school but it’ll get pretty boring when you neglect the things you enjoy doing.
Please also keep in mind that it’s ok to question authority in a healthy manner. When I began to talk to my professors about the way they teach or treat their students, most of the time they’ll take into consideration about what you comment about them.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

‘Until I meet my husband.’ written by Ryousuke Nanasaki, Illustrated by Yoshi Tsukizuki

‘My lesbian experience with loneliness’ “Solo Exchange diary vol 1 and vol 2′ by Nagata Kabi

(Note: both books have some NSFW themes)

Both reflect on finding love while struggling with their sexuality throughout their adulthood. Both are sad but they put into perspective that going through these things is a universal experience rather than something only a handful of people would go through.

I think one of the many things that people really don’t tell you is that it’s ok if you want to be alone when you grow old, There’s nothing wrong with not finding a partner, getting married, or not wanting to talk to extended family. As long as you’re overall happy and healthy then getting old and experiencing the world alone is something you’re allowed to look forward.