Creating

quilt thinking pinkly back, originally uploaded by DallanQuilts.

I have found the creative process to be an essential component in coping with mental illness. My particular choice of work allows me to accomplish the mentally creative and high-energy phase of a project when I am feeling well or manic, and a second, more peaceful phase when I am depressed.

My passion happens to be for making quilts which are finished by hand. A special fund of money has been set aside specifically for my projects. When I am feeling energized and bursting with ideas, I plan and purchase and expend the necessary energy required at the cutting table and sewing machine to satisfy the requirements of phase one of a quilt. In phase two I get to immerse myself in the rhythmic task of hand quilting a top to a batting and back. This part of the process can continue as I cycle into a period of depression. One characteristic of depression is the inability to make decisions. When I am hand-quilting, the only decision I need to make is where to begin with the next line of thread.

I am confident that there are many other creative outlets which also have this two-phase pattern. Knitting is an obvious one. Executing a woodworking project, with its second phase being hours of sanding, might be excellent, as would be planning and choosing colors followed by the sanding of a car prior to a new paint job. Choosing which picture to paint might satisfy the decision-making phase for some, while completing a paint-by-number, with all the choices of color and placement ready-made, might be very relaxing and helpful in a phase two quest for peace. I can also imagine great satisfaction in spending passionate days choosing and constructing fishing lures, to be followed by quiet, peaceful hours with a line in the water.

I highly recommend finding something creative to do. Put into your budget all the time and the money you can afford. Remember, the creative process aids in healing, and may be looked upon as a necessary medical expense. When one is already riddled with unjustified guilt, such a concept may make it easier to move forward and do the thing that you would truly love to do.