Art and Mental Health

     Welcome back to this post apocalyptic artistic haven. If you haven't seen my recent posts on social media, I was in Costa Rica this past week with the family I nanny for. I can't tell you how cathartic and healthy this trip was for me. The quiet ocean breeze and slow pace provided a sweet caress for all of my recent woes and troubles. It cleared my mind, but it made me think about my state of mind right before my first day in paradise. I was high strung, overworked, dehydrated, and even my time off didn't feel like time off. It felt like a colossal waste of time, even though I could barely keep my eyes open. I never felt unhappy just not healthy. This unhealthy, high strung feeling became normal to me. This brings me to this week's topic: Art and Mental Health. I feel like this is a huge issue that we need to address so I'm going to talk about the stigma on mental health, mental health as an artist, and ways to turn your woes into some kick a@$ art. 
     
    Before we start I quickly want to address the difference between mental health and mental illness. Mental health is like your physical health.  Mental illnesses are things that are diagnosed and treated by mental health professionals like bipolar disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, and schizophrenia (need more info? check here https://utoronto.morefeetontheground.ca/intro/defining). I want to be clear that I am talking about general mental health and how art can enrich and detox your life, but it is NOT a replacement for medication and professional guidance in the case of a mental illness or breakdown. 

     First, I want to address the stigma placed upon humans suffering from mental health issues even though a TON of us go through it. There seems to be this unwritten rule between us saying that feeling extreme emotion is not okay. We are conditioned to bury deep conflict and feel shame for our pasts. We are made to think that medicating ourselves into oblivion is the way to go, but then we are embarrassed to be on medication that actually improves our lives. Think of it this way. If you break your arm, What do you do? You go to the doctor, they hopefully give you all the tools needed to heal, and you have a rad cast for all your classmates to sign. There is no shame in that. It happens to everyone, right? But what about the person that experiences a mental breakdown? Why is it that when something mentally damaging happens to someone it feels like there is so much shame around seeking help? Why can't a mental injury be like a physical injury? There is hope though. We as individuals can combat this stigma by actively and openly talking about our own experiences and feelings. Be the kind of friend, colleague, employer, mother, father etc that creates the safe environment needed to express these difficult feelings and fears about seeking help. Be educated about what you or a loved one is going through and actively share information with others. Here is a link to some resources on living with mental health issues both as a friend and as a patient as well as suicide hotlines.
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http://ourhealthyminds.com/family-handbook/appendix-common-mental-illnesses.html
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/self-help-resources
And my favorite:
http://www.halfofus.com
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This brings me to my main topic, Art and mental health.

     Let's face it being an artist is hard. We are constantly overexposed, overworked, underpaid, raw, and emotionally charged then drained. We play a million different insane characters and often have to relive tragic events that took place in our lives. As entertainers we also take on the audience's energy, good or bad, and must be completely emotionally naked in front of people who may or may not have your best interest at heart. Be aware as both a performer and audience member that it's not easy to do what we do, and you have to take care of yourself. I want everyone out there reading to know that you're are not alone in your struggles. I personally struggle with my mental health and actively try to maintain my daily, weekly, and monthly mental health goals and honestly check in with myself. If I need a day, I take a day and I don't feel bad for proactively protecting myself. I used to feel very alone in this struggle, but I have found that I was wrong. In fact, I conducted a poll on both my Facebook and my Instagram asking two questions. One: Artists, I’m doing a poll for next weeks blog on art and mental health, and I was wondering have you suffered from some form of mental illness? Two: Artists, I’m doing a poll for next weeks blog on art and mental health, and I was wondering has art helped you heal/cope? The results were not only surprising but staggering. Here are some fancy smancy charts to give you a visual. The first 2 pie charts represent the results from the Facebook poll. The bar chart includes the results for both question on the Instagram poll. 

     I hope these results make you feel better if you are suffering from any mental health issues. The charts clearly show that your not alone but rather in the majority of artists. This stigma of shame on mental illness/health is mearly a construct and not based in any true facts so let's change the norm. Let's create a new open environment that fosters healing and vulnerability rather than judgement and shame. 

     Finally I want to just give an example of how I try to channel my painful experiences and mental health issues into a career. Art has truly been my therapy, my grounding force, and my meds for as long as I can remember. I am not saying that's totally the right path, that art can heal all, or that you don't need to seek help or medical attention if you're stuck in a pit, I'm just saying it's a gift to be an artist, and it has the ability to squeeze some beauty out of all that crap. My song "Curly Haired Girl" is a perfect example of how I turned my sorrow and mental health issues into music.  Below is a video of my band (Requiem for a Butterfly) and me (center), performing with my two closest friends Makayla Benedict (right) and Zoey Michaels (Left) at The New Work Project for THE CREATOR'S COLLECTIVE 5 year gala. Music and my beautiful support system have played a huge role in my healing journey, and I don't know where I would be without them.

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     Well humans I hope you have some hope after reading blog no.3. I know I felt much better about my struggles after seeing the results of the poll and as always I am here to listen. Please subscribe to my blog and keep up with my most recent posts that come out either every Wednesday or every other Wednesday (don't mind me, I'm still working out the kinks). Feel free to share, comment, and discuss. This etherial blog is a safe space:). If you like what you read stay tuned for my next blog: "Recycled and Sustainable Art!"    -Love, Kodi