Natasha Simon has transformed her experience of living with mental illness into a campaign of hope for others.
Ms Simon has written three books about living with bipolar disorder and speaks with compassion and humour about the challenges faced in confronting life.
"By my experience, I want to give hope to others," she said. "I want people to know that there is help and there is life. Mental illness has been hidden away for too long and only now are we more knowledgeable about it."
Ms Simon turned to art and painting, featuring the semicolon, which represents "a sentence not finished and a life that goes on".
"Sometimes people feel lost and I hope, by my writing and my art, I can help them find themselves again," she said.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill, who has also spoken publicly about his battle with bipolar disorder, will help Ms Simon launch her latest book this October.
"Quite frankly, Natasha is an inspiration," he said. "I am deeply honoured that she has asked me to launch her third book, My Story Isn't Over, which links perfectly with the semicolon theme from Natasha's paintings.
"Her writing will touch those who live with mental illness as well as those who who care for them."
The book launch will be held on Saturday, October 19 at the Mid-Mountains Neighbourhood Centre, Lawson from 3:30pm. RSVP to @thebipolarexpress.
