A graphic designer is working to open the conversation about mental illness in Winnipeg while sharing Jesus and his love.

Taylor Peters is a graphic design student at Red River College and the founder of the Self Love Club. The Self Love Club is a growing ministry that fundraises for different organizations by selling shirts designed by Peters herself.

Peters says the Self Love Club started as a graphic design project that used her love for graphic design and for art for a cause. “Self love and mental illness, is something I have gone through in my past” explained Peters. So, says Peters “the self love club is kind of the merging of those two things."

Peters is open about her own struggle with mental illness saying that when she was only 13 or 14 years old she battled anorexia and depression.

In high school Peters was involved in a few sports and her school's track team, she says she was a perfectionist, always looking for ways to be better. She started to cut back on unhealthy, and soon healthy foods in her striving to become a better athlete.

However Peters kept cutting back on what she ate until eventually she spiraled into eating very little a day. She soon found herself in the eating disorder clinic at the Health Science Centre, “not doing well at all”.Peters was also diagnosed with depression at that time.

Peters said she felt as if “there was this huge wall between the lord and me." She felt selfish for focusing so much on herself.

“That's when the lord showed me there's so much more to life than this."

“He showed me my worth, that he made me his beautiful masterpiece” explained Peters, of when she learned that God will take care of her.

“Through lots of prayer and support and the eating disorder program I very quickly recovered physically” says Peters. However it was God who Peters said taught her to see herself as he sees her.

The Self Love Club was started out of these experiences and Peter's heart for sharing her story and her hope with other young people.

By selling shirts she designs she raises money and supports different organizations and people in Winnipeg. Peters has already donated six hundred dollars in profits to an eating coach in Winnipeg. Peters would love to grow this ministry and focus on supporting places like The Edge Skatepark as well as other people and organizations working to battle mental illness.

Peters said she is now focusing on building community, sharing art, stories and writings to open the conversation about self love and mental illness.

“I want to not only make t-shirts that raise money but I also want to raise awareness about how we see and treat ourselves. And how that affects our lives and the people around us. And to share Jesus and his love through it all!”

Check out the shirts and support Peters and others struggling with mental illness here.