▁As ▁an ▁artist ▁Mart ign oni ▁sought ▁ways ▁to ▁un ite ▁human ▁potential ▁with ▁art . ▁She ▁expl ored ▁Z en ▁drawing ▁classes ▁with ▁ther ap ist ▁and ▁poet ▁Gun illa ▁Nor ris ▁and ▁pract iced ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁P ain ting ▁from ▁the ▁Source , ▁as ▁created ▁by ▁Av iva ▁ ▁Gold , ▁with ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁women ▁artists . ▁ ▁In fl uen ced ▁by ▁writers ▁Frederick ▁Fran ck ▁( The ▁Z en ▁of ▁See ing ), ▁Caroline ▁My ss ▁( An atom y ▁of ▁Spirit ) ▁and ▁Julia ▁Camer on ▁( The ▁Art ist ’ s ▁Way ), ▁Mart ign oni ▁began ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁art ▁to ▁connect ▁people ▁with ▁their ▁potential . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁she ▁drew ▁her ▁first ▁Inner ▁Port rait ▁at ▁age ▁ 7 4 . ▁ ▁Inner ▁portrait ▁artist ▁ ▁Mart ign oni ▁has ▁drawn ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 0 ▁Inner ▁Port ra its ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁The ▁port ra its ▁are ▁in ▁an ▁illustr ative ▁style ▁in ▁which ▁people ▁and ▁shapes ▁are ▁easily ▁recogn izable ▁with ▁a ▁sub - text ▁of ▁hidden ▁symbols ▁and ▁images . ▁As ▁a ▁self - help ▁technique ▁that ▁incorpor ates ▁art ▁with ▁personal ▁development , ▁Mart ign oni ▁developed ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁“ reading ” ▁the ▁portrait ▁to ▁un cover ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁the ▁portrait . ▁M aking ▁the ▁emot ional , ▁spiritual ▁or ▁psych ological ▁connection ▁with ▁people ▁is ▁the ▁ke yst one ▁of ▁the ▁Inner