San Diego artist Stephen Williams keeps a journal as he paints.<\/p>\n
That’s where the titles of many of his abstract pieces come from \u2014 \u201cBurnout,\u201d \u201cGrounded,\u201d \u201cEnough,\u201d \u201cRules of Masculinity\u201d and \u201cEverything is Fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the practice of journaling, painting and breathing has helped him grow into a healthier version of himself, and he shares that practice with others through art therapy workshops. He also encourages health and wellness practices by offering his art gallery, The Hyangle, as a space for yoga, mental health groups and other events dedicated to wellness.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the idea that that same space is also helping other businesses thrive and people are winning. And it’s not always all about me and my art here,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt’s a creative ecosystem that’s just keeping everybody running.\u201d<\/p>\n
Located on 13th Street in East Village, The Hyangle is often bustling with the different businesses that use the space. On Tuesday evenings, Kush Yoga founder Marcelle Romero teaches cannabis yoga classes in the gallery.<\/p>\n Romero said that Williams is one of the most supportive business owners she has worked with.<\/p>\n \u201cHe really cares about uplifting people,\u201d Romero said. \u201cHe really cares about opening the veil for people who need a platform, which is really beautiful. I love going into that space. It’s always a really nice energy.\u201d<\/p>\n She uses colored lights that cast dramatic effects on Williams\u2019 paintings hung on the walls above the yoga practitioners. At the beginning of a recent class, she offered essential oils and tarot cards to her students before they began to move.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes my yoga gets kind of categorized as just this fun thing to do like, \u2018Let’s go smoke weed and do yoga,\u2019 but my intention behind it is \u2018Let’s stop and think about how things are making us feel and release things that no longer serve our higher purpose,\u2019\u201d Romero said. \u201cI see a lot of those things in Stephen’s artwork, which is really, really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where to find affordable mental health care in San Diego<\/p>\n There are plenty of resources locally that prevent cost from being a barrier to seeking care. Written by Maya Srikrishnan, Edited by Lauren J. Mapp Author\u2019s Note: This story includes resources for people experiencing mental health crises and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact<\/p>\n In June, Reneaja Norris hosted a wellness day party at The Hyangle called \u201cReset Room\u201d that featured chiropractic and massage services, herbal mocktails and neosoul music. Norris and Williams are hoping to bring the event back to the space on a recurring basis in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what makes The Hyangle so special is that it feels like more than just a venue,\u201d Norris said. \u201cIt’s a space that genuinely welcomes community, creativity, wellness and collaboration. As someone who hosts community-centered wellness events, it can be difficult to find spaces that not only accommodate your vision but actually understand and support it.\u201d<\/p>\n Norris said she also appreciates the diversity of people the gallery attracts, from small business to creatives to wellness practitioners to community organizers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat sense of community is probably what stands out most to me,\u201d Norris said.<\/p>\n Williams, 37, said he went to school for photography and film but fell in love with the process of painting and the growth that it gave him.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he has learned a lot of important life lessons from the practice of working on a canvas, including accepting people as they are and not trying to force them to be different.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there’s a point while you’re working on anything creative, you can take a step back and then you can just reflect on it,\u201d Williams said. \u201cAnd I think that’s powerful to have that practice in your daily life.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up for Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n News and information that is for San Diego’s diverse communities, not just about them.<\/p>\n No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.<\/p>\n He said painting has also taught him restraint because he has seen what can happen if he overworks a canvas.<\/p>\n The art has also helped him process some of what he has learned in the past two years in therapy, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI did a series on boundaries, and I talked about boundaries because I found it really fascinating,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThe things I was learning in therapy, I just felt like, I wish I learned this when I was 10 years old. And I just kept having that feeling like, fuck, like, why am I learning this now?\u201d<\/p>\n The recent \u201cGiants\u201d exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego featured Williams<\/a> as part of its effort to showcase local artists.<\/p>\n He said the exhibition of art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys was the boost that San Diego\u2019s art scene needed.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve been here for over a decade doing art, doing farmers markets and shows and exhibitions, and I’ve never seen that kind of energy,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n He hopes that the attention he received from that feature will open doors for him to exhibit his work in more spaces, but that hasn’t changed his mission of healing through art both for himself and for others.<\/p>\n In addition to paintings that evoke mental health topics, Williams also teaches art therapy workshops that include the practices he uses himself \u2014 journaling, abstract painting and breathwork.<\/p>\n He has taught classes for all ages from children to older adults at senior centers.<\/p>\n Williams hopes that the workshops will reach people who are struggling and give them better tools to cope. He worries about people who hold in what they’re going through rather than sharing or processing their negative emotions, something Williams said he was confronted with three years ago when his cousin committed suicide.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t know he was going through this, and I just felt so guilty,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Sept. 10, Williams will host a free art therapy workshop<\/a> at The Hyangle to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n He is dedicating the class to his cousin.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788981493_524_2026-Membership-Campaign-Goal-Tracker-3.png\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/hyangle-20.jpg\")
Marcelle Romero, founder of Kush Yoga, leads a cannabis yoga class at The Hyangle art gallery. Kate Morrissey\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/18\/55\/18550d27-4856-4fa7-9f92-33639d54bd38\/content\/images\/thumbnail\/Lead-Images--3--62f938b0-a865-43fb-976d-46dd429bd0bd.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/hyangle-17.jpg\")
Participants in a Kush Yoga class begin their practice at The Hyangle art gallery. Kate Morrissey\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788981496_780_Dark-Beach-for-background-on-sign-up.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/hyangle-03.jpg\")
Artist Stephen Williams places his hand on one of his paintings titled “Grounded” which includes both paint and concrete. Kate Morrissey\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/hyangle-04.jpg\")
Artist Stephen William shares a work-in-progress involving parking tickets he and his friends have accumulated. Kate Morrissey\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n