Coloring IS Therapy

I have recently been a bit down, withdrawn, angry, depressed…yes, all of that rolled up into a big ball of…DON’T MESS WITH ME!  I have been evaluating what in my life has changed…well we all know my precious gift of a little girl is one huge change of which is top priority in my life.  I have also been trying to eliminate clutter and move our important items into an RV that we will live in full time.   These are huge life changes.  In the process I have been unable to color from either lack of time or lack of supplies because most is packed.  It seams when I got a moment to color it was because of a commitment and in the time alotted had to be done so quickly the enjoyment was dwindling.   I felt so overwhelmed with life.   I found myself sitting around, playing with my baby girl and flipping through social media to pass the day (you can only hit refresh so many times before there is no more to refresh).  What long days they are.  I felt that if I didn’t have enough time to be creative from start to finish (find my mojo, color and create) that I would spend time doing “nothing” instead.  So for months I have done little to nothing.  I felt myself slipping into a depression, being angry at the world and jealous of all those people making things on the groups I follow.
I usually am the sounding board for my friends but this time it was me doing most of the talking.  My  friends listened to my angry ranting and raving, pissed off at the world, with an overload of self pity, Talking really helped pull me out of my funk…it wasn’t because they said to go color (although that was said too), it was because they made me laugh, I forgot about all my whoas for a moment.  They encouraged me to try a little coloring…nothing I had to do, but rather to color something just because.  WHOA!  Now mind you my days are the same routine as before but over the last few days I have colored about 10 images…somehow juggling the little one and life.  Yes, my house is a disaster, but I feel a weight lifted and feel so inspired that I will just allow the house to wait.  Coloring IS therapy!  
For those of you who are feeling the same way.  Feeling that life is just to much and doesn’t allow you to be creative…take a moment for you.  You might be a little artistically rusty but that will go away once you oil your mojo.  Don’t wait until you have time…do it now.
Ok, this therapy session was free….go find you!!

PS.  I am fine…no one worry…this too will pass….I can feel the Copics running through my veins again   COPICS FOREVER…HOUSEWORK WHENEVER!

15 thoughts on “Coloring IS Therapy

  1. Im so glad that i found this post cause it is almost like myself talking here. Except i have no RV and my little one is 16 and living across the street with her ill grandmother. But still me just the same. Thank you for being brave enough to share with the workd yr troubles hopfuly the light at the end of my tunnel will come soon as well. Have a colorific day 🙂

  2. Hey, Jennifer – I wanted to thank you for your honesty and openness and let you know you are not alone. Life is a push and pull struggle and sometimes you get it in waves. Not only do I find art as therapy, it's the only thing that keeps me sane some days. I do copics and art journaling which really helps. I hope you are taking care of yourself during this difficult time. Great crab!

  3. I too have been in a funk. I moved three months ago from my loved beach town to New Orleans. I did all the work and moving by myself as my sweetie was a couple thousand miles away working for six months. Things are now unpacked and I WILL be sitting down to color and journal. Thanks for the free therapy session!'

  4. Tell your mom that as your Official Spell Checker I'm letting this post stand. When Yosemite Sam says Whoa Camel, he means it.(look that up on YouTube) So, you have no whoas. You had woes, but through laughter you put the whoa on the woe. Woe is me, I'm starting to get a headache.

    Who loves ya? I do. MWAH! I wouldn't mess with you now.

    p.s.- Love the statement "Copics Forever…Housework Whenever".

    That crab is awesome! [Bunny]

  5. Jenn, having a fire and losing my fur babies and many beloved belongings sure threw me into a tailspin. I kept thinking I would wake up and it would all be a nightmare and my world wasn't turned upside down. Then three things happened to help me stabilize. I had a catalog deadline to meet, my teammates and a few friends rallied around me and sent me supplies to keep me going and we found the kittens a feral cat had in our sooty basement and rescued them! The crafting for the catalog surely kept me from going into a deep funk. The generosity of my friends renewed my spirit and fed my soul. My four new furbabies helped ease the pain of the four I lost. They were a Godsend without a doubt. So, between the crafting and the new babies, my woes were overshadowed with an inner peace I thought I had lost. As I replace my Copics, it gets better bit by bit. Sure, I have other mediums to color with, however, Copics are, and, always will be, my favorite. You have been my inspiration for many years now. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "When I grow up, I want to color like Jenn Dove!" Far too many times to count! When you color and post it, I've got my phone set to alert me so I can check out what you've done. I'm sure I'm not the only one! So, it's okay to be a little down here and there, just so long as you color for a good pick-me-up! Besides, who can be sad while coloring a Bloobel image with Copics!? Big hugs to you! Oh, and I love your crab! Amazing, as always!

  6. I can totally relate. I find that when I am slipping down, my creativity will slip down too. I have to sometimes force myself to go and craft. Once I get in there, I am a crafting machine. Yes, I need my crafting to keep me sanity!

  7. Oh Jenn.. you are in my heart.. laugh color enjoy.. life is way to short to waste it being depressed..ask one who spent the last 6 years in a black hole. You & copics & a friend & family.all surely lifted that.and it didn't happen all at once… Hang in , color for yourself.. your inner joy will grow strong again.. know you are so loved.
    Go ..color..feel the joy.

  8. I am totally there with you! In January I asked my best friend why we were just sitting around here. I suggested we get an RV and see the country. We have made a bunch of lists of what we want to get and looked at a few RV's in person. I have 20 years of arts and crafts supplies to sell off plus all the house stuff. I made a good start but then the sales slowed. All of the boxes of to sell items are piled at my friends house and she has been posting them online. I just stalled out and got depressed. I don't feel like going threw my stuff any more. If we could afford the RV as is, I would happily dump everything at a second hand store. I have chosen what to take along to craft with but there are things I would rather not get rid of that I can't take along. I haven't been doing any art, just watching youtube. I made a few birthday cards but I still haven't gotten through any more stuff. The topper is I have been sick for the last 2 weeks. Ack!

  9. Hi Jennifer, you are not alone, I've just gone through about 6 weeks of severe depression, I am heavily involved in a wildlife rescue organization on the west coast of Canada, fundraising is my main job in the summer, In the middle of July I said "I need a break" – well I took a six week break, isolated myself, pitied myself, and sat at the computer day in and day out wishing I could craft as beautifully as so many out there can. I finally talked to someone, kicked my self in the butt and got back out in the world. I too was a single Mom for 14 years so I know what that is like as well. Hang in there girl, it will get better! I've just purchased two of your stamps, the Great Horned Owl and the Raccoon, I'm going to color and donate to my wildlife group as a way of raising funds! Take care of you because no one else will and your little girl needs a healthy Mom!

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