During the last few months, I have shared with you the importance of art and creativity in this column. I decided to call it, To The Non-Artist, because as an educator, I’ve had many students introduce themselves as, "I am not an artist," even before telling me their names. In my opinion, we were all born artists. The fact that you stopped creating art is another story. Art does not discriminate nor does it ask what your ability is in order to grant you permission to create. One day, it just knocks on your door and asks to be let in.
For me, art was like the waves of the sea, it came and went. In truth, it took many years to come back. I ignored the call. I kept the door closed and like a stray dog, it found someone else to feed it. The scratches on my door ceased and the call seemed to be gone forever. During that time I let my problems take up the vast majority of my mental space. There was no motivation to create and I was getting sicker and sicker. Despite having come to consider myself an artist as a child, how could I say I was an artist if I didn't create art?
As always, this column is dedicated to those who do not consider themselves artists and I also want to take the opportunity to raise mental health awareness. October 10 is the World Mental Health Day instituted by the World Health Organization. As the seasons change and the days get shorter, there are those of us who need a little extra support. If you are someone who needs help or you think that you may be experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, talk to your doctor or someone you trust who can help you.
I am not a psychologist or mental health professional, but as someone who understands what it is like to suffer from mental health disorders, and as an artist, I want to offer you my story and how I found magic in a notebook. Unfortunately, it is still taboo to talk about our mental state for fear of, "What will they say?" I understand that going to therapy can sometimes be very expensive or simply our native language can be a barrier since most psychologists speak English. At fifteen I was diagnosed with clinical depression, a few years later I was diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, a subtype of depression that occurs as the seasons change. Then followed the diagnosis of severe generalized anxiety disorder and finally dysthymia, a form of chronic depression.
During this time I was not creating art but I did have a notebook. My psychologist recommended that I write down everything I was feeling. At first, it was difficult as I was very hard on myself and I wanted everything to be perfect. Everything changed when my creative writing teacher came into the picture, Mrs. Jean Winkler, who was also our librarian.
Mrs. Winkler helped me write short stories, poetry, and I even wrote a play. What she taught me was like magic. I had the opportunity to create in my mind a character that came to life in the pages of my notebook. My character took on all the doubts, insecurities, and problems, and as the author of the story, I was able to guide and free my character from what ailed her.
We all have different coping mechanisms, in recent years creating art and bringing my emotional torments to life has helped me not only to cope but to thrive and help other people as well. Art and therapy go hand in hand. When I began to see the link between art and healing, I realized that many of the artists I admired used similar techniques. The artist Yayoi Kusama paints a pattern of dots insistently that helps her cope with symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and hallucinations that have plagued her since childhood. She calls it "art medicine". Similarly, Frida Kahlo is considered the godmother of art therapy, since her work is mostly self-portraits that narrate all the pain she felt during her life. Kahlo always made it clear, "I never paint my dreams or nightmares, I paint my reality." Kahlo also kept a notebook where she wrote letters that she never sent and where she scribbled and drew as well.
There is so much beauty that each of you can offer to the world. Even the beauty that comes from pain. Not everything that withers dies, sometimes we just need to hibernate to germinate and re-bloom. If you or someone you know needs help or is experiencing a mental breakdown, use the resources provided below. If you suspect that someone needs help but is not in a state of crisis, talk to them, let them know that you are there as that source of support. Offer to walk with them, have a coffee, or give them a notebook. You never know if you can change someone's life.
Aspen Hope Center 970-925-5858
Mind Springs Health Hotline 24/7 888-207-4004, or text “TALK” to 38255.
Colorado Crisis Service 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text "Talk" to 38255