This Artist Illustrates What OCD Actually Feels Like

In this insightful episode of Stories and Stanza, we feature an exclusive author interview with Mia Mason, the creative mind behind "Worry's Whispers." Mia shares her personal journey, intertwining her experiences with OCD and anxiety, and discusses her dedication to mental health advocacy through her powerful book. Her work as an artist and writer beautifully contributes to mental health awareness, offering a unique perspective on resilience and seeking help.

In this episode of Stories and Stanza, host interviews writer, illustrator, and mental health advocate Mia Mason about her book Worry’s Whispers, a collection of illustrated poems interwoven with a graphic-novel section following Drew’s journey through OCD and anxiety from isolation to seeking help, diagnosis, and resilience. Mia discusses using digital art as advocacy to make complex mental health topics accessible, explains how therapy-inspired drawings evolved into the book’s format, and shares a poem depicting health anxiety and intrusive “why” spirals. She describes her lived experience of OCD as “sticky” intrusive thoughts, morality fears, and reassurance-seeking compulsions, framing OCD as a “ghost” named Worry whose whispers can become background noise with treatment. Mia emphasizes values-based action—doing meaningful activities despite fear—and notes the book’s value for both people with OCD and their loved ones.