--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I close my eyes and paint these…" description: "\"“Sometimes I close my eyes and paint these walls a different color. I imagine I’m wearing warm socks and sitting by a fire. I imagine someone’s given m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/tahereh-mafi-229_destroy-me_sometimes-i-close-my-eyes-and-paint-thes_1199644.jpg" --- # Sometimes I close my eyes and paint these walls a… ![“Sometimes I close my eyes and paint these walls a different color. I imagine I’m wearing warm socks and sitting by a fire. I imagine someone’s given me a book to read, a story to take me away form the torture of my own mind. I want to be someone else somewhere else with something else to fill my…” quote by Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/tahereh-mafi-229_destroy-me_sometimes-i-close-my-eyes-and-paint-thes_1199644.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/tahereh-mafi-229_destroy-me_sometimes-i-close-my-eyes-and-paint-thes_1199644.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85d/tahereh-mafi-229_destroy-me_sometimes-i-close-my-eyes-and-paint-thes_1199644.jpg) > ““Sometimes I close my eyes and paint these walls a different color. I imagine I’m wearing warm socks and sitting by a fire. I imagine someone’s given me a book to read, a story to take me away form the torture of my own mind. I want to be someone else somewhere else with something else to fill my mind. I want to run, to feel the wind tug at my hair. I want to pretend that this is just a story within a story. That this cell is just a scene, that these hands don’t belong to me, that this window leads to somewhere beautiful if only I could break it. I pretend this pillow is clean, I pretend this bed is soft. I pretend and pretend and pretend until the world becomes so breathtaking behind my eyelids that I can no longer contain it. But then my eyes fly open and I’m caught around the throat by a pair of hands that won’t stop suffocating suffocating suffocating. My thoughts, I think, will soon be sound. My mind, I hope, will soon be found.”” [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator uses vivid imagination to escape mental anguish, seeking alternate identities and sensory comforts while feeling trapped by oppressive thoughts. **In simple terms:** Escaping pain through imagination and yearning for freedom. Key Takeaway Cultivate healthy coping strategies beyond fantasy. Themes mental health escapism identity freedom Mood melancholic hopeful reflective Type literary personal When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - mindfulness practice - support groups Key Concepts psychology creative visualization self‑care Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform imaginative escape into constructive action? - What small steps can you take toward mental relief? A Different Perspective Fantasy cannot replace real healing; reliance may deepen isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destroy-me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy-me/) [Juliette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/juliette/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“I want to be someone else somewhere else with something else to fill my mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-want-to-be-someone-else-somewhere-else-with-something-else-to-fill/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Swallow the tears back often enough and they’ll start feeling like acid dripping down your throat. It’s that terrible moment when you’re sitting still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/swallow-the-tears-back-often-enough-and-they-ll-start-feeling-like-2/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“There’s something simmering inside of me. 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The idiot who thinks he's won himself a pretty girl. He has no idea who she is. No idea what she'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/that-traitorous-bastard-the-idiot-who-thinks-he-s-won-himself-a/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Friendship is not a thing I have ever experienced. Not as a child, and not as I am now. Except. One month ago, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/friendship-is-not-a-thing-i-have-ever-experienced-not-as-a-child-and-2/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Sir, can you hear me?" Another cry. But this time, a voice I don't detest. 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I’ve hit the ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-almost-forget-that-she-still-hates-me-despite-how-hard-i-ve-fallen/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## More by Tahereh Mafi > [His hands are holding my cheeks, and he pulls back just to look me in the eye and his chest is heaving and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/his-hands-are-holding-my-cheeks-and-he-pulls-back-just-to-look-me-in/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“think Adam is looking to break Kenji’s neck at this point.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/think-adam-is-looking-to-break-kenji-s-neck-at-this-point/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I didn't want the clothes or the perfect shoes or the expensive anything. I didn't want to be draped in silk. 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Last night she almost killed one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/that-s-when-i-understand-of-course-she-s-not-okay-of-course-she-didn/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I used to have a family. He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-used-to-have-a-family-he/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“I've never been able to follow through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/i-ve-never-been-able-to-follow-through/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“ground where it smells like ice and metal and dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/ground-where-it-smells-like-ice-and-metal-and-dirt/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) [Explore all 821 Tahereh Mafi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) ## More Destroy-me quotes > [“I almost forget that she still hates me, despite how hard I’ve fallen for her. 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I pretend this pillow is clean, I pretend this bed is soft. I pretend and pretend and pretend until the world becomes so breathtaking behind my eyelids that I can no longer contain it. But then my eyes fly open and I’m caught around the throat by a pair of hands that won’t stop suffocating suffocating suffocating. My thoughts, I think, will soon be sound. 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