Throughout my life, art has always been a life jacket that has kept my head above the deep dark waters of depression and anxiety. Recently, it has been an outlet from the stress and anxiety that has been 2020. This year has been a huge emotional trigger but through my creative outlet of art, I have been able to break through the barriers that used to tie me down. I have developed a new sense of intentionality when it comes to the process of creating my work. I have used my past trauma, along with God’s direction to guide my creative process.
I am currently working on a series called “bettering each other.” It includes a collection of cards titled pass-along-encouragement and a series of DBT worksheets. These two projects came to me when I was at my lowest. I sat in silence with God for days on end looking for any sort of sign. I was led to an old binder of worksheets that I received while in treatment for my eating disorder, chronic anxiety, and persistent depressive disorder. I remember sitting in those metal chairs staring at the clock as the psychologist placed a thick stack of black and white worksheets in front of me. The worksheets, that were intended to help me process and work through my depression, were anything but helpful. As I sat there, I saw a need for change and took action. I wanted to completely rebrand these worksheets with a calming color palette and a new depth of visual interest. To this day, I believe that this small tweak would make a huge difference in the way patients interact with the worksheets and process the information. I’m hoping that these worksheets will provide others with new skills to manage emotional trauma and decrease conflict. The use of this type of therapy works by targeting the four key areas mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and assertive. This cognitive-behavioral treatment works to balance opposites and find ways to hold two opposite perspectives at once, promoting balance, and accepting change.
As for the pass-along-encouragement cards, I wanted to create a fun and colorful card that can be written on and then passed to another person. The idea came to me in the form of a stranger that came up to me at a coffee shop while I was studying and set down a scrap of paper that said “Sister, You are loved, you are an overcomer and the sword of God’s word is the tool that God wants you to us… Hurting people hurt people Satan wants to use it to hurt you and God is using it to strengthen you. Trust Him.” The woman who placed that note on my table knew nothing about me, not a single thing that was going on in my life nor did she know what my name was, but she had the courage to share the words that God wanted me to hear. In doing so, I was eager to create a similar template that is beautiful and upliftings while still allowing the giver to write their message and gift it to whomever they choose. I added a single sentence phrase of affirmation to the backside to help spark words of encouragement. I printed out 5 pages of these encouragement cards and handed them out to students, faculty, and random strangers at local coffee shops. I left them blank to allow others to use these cards in whichever way they choose, in hopes of spreading more kindness and love to one another. I would also encourage all of you to print off a few of these pages and share them with others!
These two projects were fueled by my desire to share my love for art with others while simultaneously sharing the love of God with others. As I continue to look to the future, I hope to share these worksheets with the counselors and facilities that helped me through the most difficult situations and donate my designs to those in need. This will also help me reach new markets and disperse my work into the world. I know God gave me the gift of design to share my story in hopes that it might inspire others. I want to spread the message that you are bigger than your circumstances and stronger than you think.