This post was originally posted on Blogger August 1, 2024.
This post was originally posted on Blogger August 13, 2024.
I suffer from depression, among other things, it’s no secret. It’s also no secret that being an artist and creative crafts person helps me cope with my chronic pain and mental health issues. It’s a positive way for me focus my time on something that benefits my mental health. Being creative means so many things to me. It's important to acknowledge that depression can significantly impact motivation and energy levels, making it challenging to engage in creative activities, even if they are something that you enjoy and have always benefitted from doing. Sometimes the motivation just isn’t there. This is something I battled with last year during my nervous breakdown. I was too overwhelmed to even think about being creative, something that I would have thought would have been positive given my high distress. But it was the opposite. Creating from scratch felt intimidating and stressful. So I put my arts and crafts supplies to the side and started focusing on me. I went to counseling, I started a more formal journaling practice, I worked in self help workbooks, I worked on creating a routine, and my creativity consisted of me colouring in various themed colouring books, with my alcohol markers, and journaling. It took around a year for me to get back to creating my own stuff again. It was just all too overwhelming. On boxing day I cleaned off my desk, and sat down to work, making a promise to myself to make time every day to be creative. I’m so glad that I am back at it. As soon as I sat down in my desk chair, and took out a pen, I felt a meaningful familiarity, like I was going home after a long time away. But I needed some time off to focus on myself. Now I’m knee deep in inspiration and creativity. But it took pushing through and being consistent in my routines to find it again.
Engaging in creative activities has always been a helpful way for me to cope with my chronic pain and mental health issues, like my depression and since the kids were babies I have made things to sell. But it wasn’t until we moved to Galiano Island in 2017 and I’d lived here a couple of years, before I officially started calling myself an artist.
When you are always in pain, finding inspiration can be challenging. I’m learning how to use my pain and depression as a source of inspiration for my creative identity.
Here are 5 ways to try and inspire creativity when you're feeling depressed:
1. Start Small and Simple: Don't pressure yourself to create a masterpiece. Doodle, write a few lines of poetry, or try a simple craft project. The goal is to engage your mind without overwhelming it. This is such good advice. After my nervous breakdown and my creativity break, I found it a bit overwhelming figuring out what I wanted to creatively do, and not knowing what about the creative process was causing me stress. So I decided I would go through my art and business supply bookshelf and pick something from there to do. I wasn’t focusing on sales, or anything like that. I just wanted something creative to do so that I could get back into the creative process and creating my things again. I ended up finding my kids’ Shrinky Dinks shrinking plastic sheets and making “Galiano” ID tags that I then used to make Hazelwood bead bracelets. So I got out my beading supplies and my mother-in-law Val and I got to work making our Galiano bracelets. We enjoyed it so much we ended up ordering more Shrinky Dink sheets to make more jewelry out of them. Val and I made earrings, pins/broaches, keychains and bracelets out of popular characters we drew on the Shrinky Dinks. It’s been good fun.
2. Engage Your Senses: Take a walk in nature, listen to music, or experiment with different textures. Sensory experiences can spark new ideas and emotions that you can channel into your creative work. I like going for walks at Bellhouse Park with someone that doesn’t mind if we go slow or to help me down anything that looks steep. Usually I go with my husband or my best friend. I also like sitting outside on our property, given we live on 11.5 actress of mostly forested land. Especially at night when you can hear all the frogs in our pond and if you are lucky enough, you’ll get to hear the owls talking to each other from different locations across our property. I’m not one to listen to music if I’m doing something as it splits my focus and my brain feels gross with too many competing sounds while trying to think and work on a task or project, but many people like having music playing in the background while they work. I also like lighting incense and have a nice collection of different incense sticks to burn, depending on what I feel like. I have a beautiful tree of life cone incense holder which is so relaxing to lose yourself in the smoke traveling down and collecting at the bottom like waterfalls down to a pool. I also like the smell and taste of cannabis so smoking a joint is one of my favourite rewards I give myself for a job well done. The flavours of different strains, their terpenes, and how smooth they are, are all different and things I enjoy.
3. Revisit Old Hobbies: Think about activities you used to enjoy and try revisiting them. This can help you reconnect with a part of yourself that may feel dormant due to depression. This is exactly what I did when I looked through the arts and crafts supplies I had to see what I found that inspired me. I do this every so often too. I find some supplies, and I see what I can do with those supplies that is creative and original. It’s pretty much how I’ve come up with all my products. Picking up where you last left off on a craft or piece of art can be inspiring and give you almost a second wind to work on and finish it. I love finding older craft supplies and making new things out of them. It’s also how I came up with my Collage Cards; I took arts and craft supplies, scrapbooking embellishments, stickers, rhinestones, etc. and started gluing them and putting them on recycled kraft cardstock cards or scrapbooking cardstock to make special all occasion greeting cards. I called this new product Collage Cards and they’ve been quite popular. My mother-in-law does them with me and we have great fun in making our cards.
4. Collaborate or Seek Inspiration from Others: Join a creative group or workshop, or simply spend time with people who inspire you. Sometimes, interacting with others can reignite your own creative spark. I would love to get into an art group, or open studio time, to share my creativity with other like minds. I want to take pottery classes, as well as learn to paint and sketch faces, and am hoping that I can make these two things happen next year. I’ve also been thinking a lot recently about finding a way to take some art classes from a college or university in the future. I always wanted to go to art school, and lately I’m feeling like I missed out. Maybe in the near future I can take some classes.
5. Express Your Emotions: Creativity can be a powerful outlet for expressing difficult emotions. Try journaling, painting, or writing music to process your feelings and find new perspectives. This is why my journaling practice has been so beneficial to me. It’s a way for me to process my intense emotions surrounding my chronic pain and the mental devastation it causes in a way that clicks with my brain. I don’t know if I would have made it through last year if I didn’t have journaling. In July of this year (2024) I finally stopped talking about wanting to write my story, and I started writing my story in the form of a blog about chronic pain. I also am sharing those blog posts on social media. This blog is a healthy outlet and way to share everything I’ve experienced and learned with respect to chronic pain. It’s a way for me to help others in my situation and let them know they are not weird, or alone, in their struggles. I hope to be a valued resource and a place where people can feel safe in their thoughts.
Navigating the path of creativity while dealing with depression requires patience, self-compassion, and a willingness to experiment. By starting small, engaging your senses, revisiting old hobbies, seeking inspiration from others, and expressing your emotions, you can gradually rekindle your creative spark and find solace in artistic expression. Remember, the journey itself is as important as the destination. Embrace the process, celebrate your progress, and don't hesitate to seek professional help if needed.
Let's support each other in our creative endeavors and foster a community where everyone feels empowered to express themselves authentically. Together, we can navigate the complexities of depression and discover the transformative power of creativity.
Remember, creativity is a journey, not a destination. Be patient with yourself, celebrate small victories, and don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.