As Covid-19 hit the world in 2020, everyone looked for a distraction to maintain their sanity as the world shifted toward a new normal. Suddenly all of us were home-bound, and stepping out was a life risk. These circumstances took a toll on people’s mental health, but some, like Sammy Gerb, found their way out. A full-time veterinarian and a passionate artist, Sammy started painting and posting her art videos on TikTok as an escape from the gloominess of the pandemic.
Hailing from New Jersey, Sammy had always wanted to be a vet but also had a deep-rooted love for the arts. During the pandemic, her love reignited, and she decided to start creating art. Sammy decided to start painting again. Painting and making art content was her way of dealing with burnout and simply keeping herself busy with productive activities. Sharing her emotions and her art with people helped Sammy in many ways. She recalls how she was highly disturbed, and her mental health declined every day when she got the idea to record her painting, which changed her life.
Luckily, Sammy met some great people virtually and built an amazing TikTok community that helped her improve her work and supported her art. Because of social media, she felt heard and connected. Despite putting out her most vulnerable side, people were nonjudgmental and found her inspiring. However, she also had taken therapeutic sessions to feel better. Stories like Sammy’s help educate the world about the importance of mental health and normalize talking about and dealing with such sensitive topics.
Sammy believes that we can only rise by lifting others. She understands how much this world needs kindness and empathy; therefore, she tries to help people. In this context, she makes donations to different charities every month to give back to the community. The altruistic artist also keeps her art affordable and available to everyone.
Moreover, she also educates young content creators on how they can make money from their art, helping them build attractive content and grow their platforms. She shares her TikTok journey and budget-friendly tools through her Youtube channel to create useful content for young and aspiring creators.
Here is a link to her official website and Instagram account to learn more about her work.