An Anxious Artist’s Journey with Dan Pietens

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Dan shares that anxiety affected his work as a physiotherapist, which led him to seek treatment and explore alternative career trajectories. Dan notes that although he felt symptoms of anxiety from a young age, he didn’t think much of it at the time, assuming it was a feeling everyone experienced to some degree. After recognizing the therapeutic benefits of creating art, Dan chose to pursue a career as an artist, and continues to work on overcoming his anxiety and perfectionism. To check out Dan’s work, visit www.pietensart.ca.  

Dan Pietens is a pencil artist from London, Ontario, known for his highly realistic portraits of professional hockey players including Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. To help raise awareness around anxiety, Dan donates proceeds from his artwork sales to Anxiety Canada.