Depression

Depression is never the goal in life. No one wakes up and decides to become depressed like choosing a profession.

“Yes, when I grow up, I think I would like to be either a doctor, or ballet teacher, or maybe a depressed soul.”

No, this is not the choice, and yet at times it is perceived as if it were. As if you could somehow opt out of it and simply turn your mind into a sunshiny, bird-chirping-in-the-morning kind of outlook. That perception can make you feel alone. It’s almost as if you are a bad or unintelligent person for making such a choice.

You might browse through the sea of happy faces with their smiles and vacations.

“Look at them with their romantic dinners on the pier, their healthy food with perfect dining wear. How does anyone have the energy to look for matching napkins and placemats, anyways?”

Depression seems like it is for outcasts. Yet most people experience depression in some form or another at least once in their lives, if not a constant battle.

We Are not “Less-than”

I put this mini series together because I wanted to unite people in this very common experience. We are not somehow “less-than” just because we have depression. It does not take away our value or our worth. It does however, take away joy. I believe there is a way to take back a portion of this joy that depression has so cruelly robbed us of, and that is through art. Art allows us to channel the pain and build something out of it. Some beauty in the sea of darkness.

Step Into Another’s World

In this series you will be seeing compositions of different styles of art from people in various parts of the world. Each one of these artists express depression uniquely, drawn from their experiences and encompass different aspects. They all have something important to say. Come step into the world of each one to learn and feel with them.  

Thank You Artists!

I want to thank all of the artists who have so graciously shared their work to be able to post. These people have vulnerably sent their work to help validate the struggle, lift the burden, and give hope to others. Please support these artists with your likes, comments, and shares. But please, be kind with any comments made as these are real people opening themselves up in order to help destigmatize depression and give their help through their experience.

A Song to Start Us Off

To start us off, I wanted to share a song I wrote a while back about my experience. I tried to capture the dreary feeling and emptiness that comes from the functioning type of depression. Also, at the very end, you get to witnessed the most well-timed yawn in the history of yawns, courtesy of my husband. Please enjoy: