When she was down the street and would point out a person to her friends, they couldn't see the same things.

Scary, is how the young woman described the experiences.

It was just a year ago that Ms Burrett was diagnosed with schizophrenia after six months of experiencing things nobody else was going through.

After eight weeks in hospital, the diagnosis finally provided some clarity and a way for her to move forward.

"Obviously nobody wants to have a mental illness but it was a bit of a relief for me, it meant they could put me on medication," Ms Burrett said.

She said the experiences haven't totally disappeared, but they're much more manageable.

Ms Burrett was speaking out as part of World Mental Health Day on Saturday.

For the past 13 weeks, she has participated in an art therapy program run in partnership between ACT Health, the National Gallery of Australia and the Mental Health Community Coalition.

The participants of the program, called Colours of the Core, presented their self-portraits on Saturday to celebrate resilience and identity.

National Gallery of Australia head of learning and access Katie Russell was thrilled at the changes she had witnessed.

"I've seen people become more confident and I've seen them process some really challenging things they've been through in their lives," Ms Russell said.

"Art really gives them a really safe avenue through which they can encounter these things and find a way through them."

Ms Burrett said while medication helped, the art program did for her what medication couldn't.

"It's hard for me to describe, when you've been put in that situation where you're forced to reveal yourself to other people through artwork, it is quite intimate. You also find out things about yourself," Ms Burrett said.

About half the population will experience a mental illness in their lifetime and the past week, known as Mental Health Week, has been a chance to break down the stigma.