I hope you're having a positive and productive day. This blog is dedicated to helping creatives of any age, gender, or social class living with depression cope to move forward towards an enlightened path of joy.
Before we dive into a world of self construction, Id like to introduce myself. My name is Justin Williams and I am a creative in the pursuit of my own private practice in Art Therapy. And yes, I have depression. I remember when I first noticed that I was different than the other kids in elementary school. Mom and dad were divorced and my mom just married a man that my older sister nor myself wanted mom to marry. I was a tender eight years old and my mother had just gained full custody of me. School became uninteresting the same year I was placed in GT classes. Home became I place I would spend most of my time in my room alone where I would read manga, watch "how its made", and draw. Usually I would cry myself to bed after all the lonely festivites
were finished. Not because I was sad, but because what I would describe as a wave of water came and grab hold of me. After years of research on mental health, college, and being institutionalized for a suicide attempt, I would now describe the phenomenon as a depressive episode. One day, my new step father caught me crying in my bed. The image of his lips forming the words "your soft" are forever burnt into my memory. Being defined soft was soft was a catastrophy, especially since I am considered to be African American based on the color of my skin. Being " tough and emotionless was all I knew being "black" to be. This led me question myself and everything around me. I was lost. Through art and creativity, I found myself through the dark waters of depression. Thanks to an insightful high school teacher. From the many lessons and tricks i've learned along the years living with my personified depression named " shayla", my main take away was that depression does not define me. I am not a depressed man, I am a creative young afro-latino man in America who has depression.
Depression can stiffle creativty, yet it can fuel it all in the same sentence. What a paradox. Here, I will inform you and lead you down the path of coping and recovery. This is not a subistiution for therapy even though it may help with therapy. Read what I write carefully and make everything your own. Hopefully you know a little about me and maybe you can inbox me to let me know how I can create more helpful content for you. Thanks. Peace.
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