From Public Health to Personal Healing: The Story Behind Self-Care Shirts

Last week, I had the honor of being interviewed for Communicator’s Guide to Social Impact about my career in public-health design — from dengue campaigns to the CDC Yellow Book. What surprised me most about seeing the piece published wasn’t just the reflection on my past projects, but how clearly it connected to what I’m doing now with Self-Care Shirts.

For years, I used design to help people understand health information — vaccines, safety, prevention. It was meaningful work, but it also taught me that the way we communicate care matters just as much as the message itself. After going through my own health challenges and a long mental-health journey, I wanted to keep using design to help people — only this time, on a more personal level.

That’s how Self-Care Shirts was born.

Each shirt is a little reminder that healing is messy, growth takes time, and humor can coexist with pain. Whether it’s “You Are Not a Burden,” “Ghosting My Anxiety,” or “Therapy Girly,” every design is meant to make someone smile, breathe, or feel seen.

Ten percent of all proceeds goes to 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) and The Trevor Project. These two organizations have personally mattered to me and to so many others who are trying to find light in hard seasons.

Reading the interview reminded me that design — whether for national health campaigns or cozy sweatshirts — is still about the same thing: helping people feel cared for.

If you’d like to read the full interview, you can find it here:
👉 From Dengue to Cancer: How This Designer Shapes Public Health Messages for Impact