Creativity Heals

I’m not a therapist.

I’m not an expert on mental health……..But, it (mental health) is something I’m grappling with constantly.

I wanted to end this over the New Year. New Year’s Eve to be precise.

This came off of the back of a euphoric high a couple of days prior to this depressive low. I experienced another brief high last night. I connected with an old friend from London Business School whom I hadn’t seen in 10 years. I hoped to carry that positive momentum a little longer…

But I’ve woken up feeling low again.

I have ADHD (as well as autism). This means I have fewer dopamine receptors in my brain than people without ADHD. As a result, ADHD strongly correlates with depression.

There is no magic cure for this. Believe me I’ve tried anti depressants and ADHD meds…

I know what works for me…

It’s a blend of community and creativity.

Today, I woke up. Dopamine levels low. ADHD winning. Depression draped over me like cumulus clouds.

I could have surrendered to this. I wanted to surrender. But…I got up, logged onto London Writer Salon’s Weekend Writer’s Group. I did my morning pages. I wrote with my community.

Do I feel eutrophic right now?

No.

But, I feel better. Creativity is a balm. Creativity…I think latent creativity is a huge cause of my mental health issues that I’ve continued to grapple with since I was 5. In case you’re wondering, I’m 40 now.

But, a simple choice, involving morning pages and creativity (in community) has shifted my mind and led to this blog post.

I’m feeling better, but I won’t leave things to chance. I’m autistic and am part of an autistic theatre group. I’ll be joining them later today to rehearse for a Theatre Showcase where I’ll be performing.

More creativity.

More community.

More creativity in community.

“Latent creativity is not benign.” – Chase Jarvis