As a teenager living near Busan, South Korea, I felt like the everyday sounds around me were like a battlefield. When I was 17, I started wearing headphones to escape. I was 19 when I decided to stop talking. People never listened anyway.
In South Korea we graduate when we are twenty. Despite my silence, friends at school appreciated me as a listener. We communicated through nods and gestures. Growing up, I felt trapped because I couldn't express my emotions. Now, without words, I felt inspired.
I became obsessed with music. I loved the Smiths, David Bowie and Björk. Radiohead's Kid A brought me peace in the midst of the chaos. I listened to it repeatedly, distancing myself from reality.
I became deeply introspective. Oscar Wilde's books helped ground me. Sometimes I felt lethargic and couldn't get out of bed. My parents took me to therapists and doctors who talked to me about depression.
I watched films non-stop and escaped into the world of directors. I distanced myself from people who were not interested in art. The inner outbursts of anger I felt sometimes began to die out.
I started communicating via text messages. Unlike spoken words, these can be edited. I moved to Seoul and started working part-time at a club when I was 22. There I met like-minded people who loved art. Finally I started talking a little.
I am still afraid to speak and find it difficult to connect with new people. I try not to reveal too much about myself. I have a new career as an illustrator. By moving away from my family and living on my own, I came out of my shell.
During the years I was mute, I witnessed the power of art. I still prefer texting to talking and express my feelings through my drawings. It muffles the noise and has helped me heal.
I Need Art: Reality Isn't Enough: An Illustrated Memoir by Henn Kim is available now (Bloomsbury, £16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy from Guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.