When Samuel McFarland entered a treatment program for addiction in July 2018, he turned to his sketch pad.
He had always been into drawing, even as a kid, but it wasn’t something he had ever pursued full-time. Life was too busy — he played sports, went to college and later worked as a firefighter.
But when his drug addiction ultimately brought him to Options Recovery Services in Berkeley, he learned to tap into his creativity.
“There was a sketch pad and a pencil, and it was like a lost dream awakened,” McFarland said. “Whenever there was anything going on, it was beneficial to sketch. I think there is something healing about being able to externalize feelings, emotions.”
