Art.

    • I know, it sounds like it doesn't relate to the topic. But, listen.

      I've been through self-harm and trouble like this, I know what it's like. The one thing that helped me stay--well, alive-- is art. Music, painting, and poetry, for me.

      So my question is: for all of you going through hell right now, do any of you turn to it?

      I want to hear stories about your life- what you've been through- and art.

      Any artists out there?
    • I've been depressed for about a year and a half, and perhaps longer. As for my life? Dad's a drunk (getting better I think), friend trouble, low self esteem, I'm somewhat disabled (was getting better, but now starting to get worse again), and for some reason I just can't handle it all and I've wanted to kill myself many times. I've been taken out of school, put on the school's suicide watch, and I've single handedly screwed up the balance I worked so hard to preserve between my divorced parents because I can not handle all this.

      As for the art? I've written a book, a short story, poetry, I've started getting into mediocre photography. It makes me happy when I see a good picture, or if what I write seems to have an emotional connection with myself or a friend. It helps me get away from it all when I take that one photo, or when I write that one paragraph that makes you want to cry because it hits you so hard, or when at the end of a poem there is an affect which makes you remember it, because of one stanza or phrase that relates to some aspect of your life. To get it all out I have a website where I put all the things I write and the pictures I take. The website has actually started to get a lot of people visiting, which makes my self esteem go up a bit.

      Now that I think about it, I've come to not only get into art, but appreciate it as well as learn how it can affect people because of my depression. So yeah, when I'm going through hell, that's what I do.
      [LEFT][SIZE=2]"Adapt and Overcome"[/SIZE][/LEFT]
      [RIGHT]"Funny how the truth sounds so cliche"[/RIGHT]
      [RIGHT]~Jack Ingram[/RIGHT]
      [CENTER]
      [SIZE=1][/SIZE][/CENTER]
    • Hmm well, most people would look at my family and I and assume that we have no problems...but there's more going on than anyone can know. My mother has been sick all of my life...now they say she's terminal and they don't even know what is killing her. Even while she's sick though she is demanding, pushy and only concerned with herself and the two dogs. My father and I don't even seem to matter. Not that my father is any better tho. He is an ex-army soldier and has medical problems of his own associated with his previous line of work. Plus, he's the most selfconcerned person I know. My older brother has long since abandoned the family, and as much as I always try to defned him, I've realized that he's not worth defending. He was my best friend and my only confidante, yet he left me behind. My whole life I've been expected to be mature, and never, ever express negativity. Grades below A's meant lectures. Participation in normal childhood activities such as playing in the yard, playing video games or hanging out with friends were seen as senseless. I was suppose to be an adult at age 10 and everyone basically believed I was. When my parents would fight I would be forced to sit by and listen, but never contribute. As my brother was berated I was forced to watch "and learn from his mistakes." As I got in trouble for every small shortcoming, I was never allowed to defend myself (or risk punishment). I couldn't stand it all so I resorted to other things to calm me down. I stopped eating, I started cutting, and I did a lot of stupid crap I regret. I also resorted to other things though. I'd always loved to write and read, so I started wiring poetry a lot and I even entered contests. Plus, I did NaNoWriMo. Graphic design, painting, jewelry making and sketching had also always been hobbies of mine...so I took to doing those more. Art became my way of survival. My sanity. Art became such a big part of my life that I'm now planning to go to university and study graphic design and communication. A lot of bad has come out of some of the things I've been through...but something good did too--my love of art. =]
      ~*~
      Please check out my blog at http://mylifeinverse.com/ or check out my youtube videos at http://youtube.com/mylifeinverse Thanks, loves!