As the prevalence of mental health issues increases and affects an ever larger number of our friends and family, it becomes essential that we create spaces for folks to talk about how they overcame or persisted despite mental health challenges. Here, we’ve tried to create a safe space for people to come together and discuss their stories, experiences, triumphs and failures with managing their mental health issues.
Arrushi Chakraborty
One of the great joys of human life is the ability to fight obstacles instead of being crushed by them. Right before I moved to New York for art school at the age of 18, I had been diagnosed with depression. Read more>>
Shelly Pweled
I always knew what I wanted to do. It sounds cliché, but even when I was really young, I already knew I wanted to sing and be on stage. That was the place where I felt the most like myself. More than ten years ago, I had a rock band. Read more>>
Loghan Burkes
During my sophomore year of College I was Diagnosed with Premenstrual Dystrophic Disorder(PMDD). For years, I struggled to understand why my emotions would spiral every month. Read more>>
Eduardo Díez Vieira
When I get stuck, I go back to the craft. I try to focus on structure, harmony, or orchestration instead of waiting for inspiration. Sometimes just working on a different section of the cue helps unlock new ideas. I also take short breaks or switch environments to reset my ears. Usually, once I focus on the craft, the creative part follows naturally. Read more>>
Angela Ugboaja
I believe creative block is something most people experience at least once in their journey. The way I overcome or beat creative block is by maintaining a sense of truth within myself. I make sure to recognize when what I’m creating doesn’t align with who I am, my brand, or my expectations. Read more>>
Dianne McPhelim
A lecturer once gave us a gift in the form of advice. Keep everything. The scribbles, the notes scratched on a napkin, on the back of receipts or a used envelope. Write them into a notebook. If they are someone else’s words, or a quote, record who said it. One day, they told us, these random pieces will come in useful. They were right. Read more>>
Brandie Speed
When I was writing Breathe Bitch Breathe, I hit walls—deep, emotional ones. There were days the words wouldn’t come because I was still healing from the very wounds I was trying to write about. But every time I wanted to stop, I’d meet another woman carrying the same silent pain I once held. Different face, same story. Read more>>
Winter(Hanxiao) Sun
I’ve always been the kind of person who knows their direction, but there was a period of time in college when I suddenly couldn’t see where things were going. I felt anxious about losing that clarity and frustrated by how slow I was moving. It became a bad loop; the more I worried, the more drained I felt. Read more>>
Mackenzie Jaquish
I’m a big believer in writing what you know, and if you’ve run out of things to write about that you know, then it’s the perfect time to learn something new. Whenever I have writer’s block, I see it as an opportunity to expand my horizons and think of something new. Read more>>
Skyler Martin
Artist’s block is such a frustrating circumstance for many creatives. You could have so many different ideas you want to portray, yet it feels impossible to continue when you are not producing work that lives up to your standards. Read more>>
Louise Becker
When your art form is what fuels you and also what you’re building a career on, experiencing creative blocks can feel so defeating. It’s a scary place to be in, because you don’t know when or how the spark will come back. It’s especially hard when you’re on a deadline for a project or feel the pressure to deliver a specific result. Read more>>
Jee Eun (Lara) Lee
When I feel creatively blocked, it’s usually when questions like “Why am I trying so hard to maintain this? What’s the point of all this effort?” start to surface. My old desire to gain money, an art-related career, or even fame and joy through art fades away, and I lose sight of why I create at all. Read more>>
Stefanos Athinaios
I don’t think struggling with creativity ever goes away completely, I guess it’s part of the process, and something every creative “has” to struggle with. However, there are ways I’ve found to “cheat” myself out of it. Read more>>
