Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

Check out this artist's depiction of mental illnesses. Do you see yours represented?

Absolutely. Bipolar, Social Anxiety, Insomnia, Major Depressive Disorder, Touch of OCD. All it's missing is ADD.

Is art like this an accurate depiction of mental illness?

I do think it's accurate to a certain extent. We all experience different levels of each disorder so some may have more or less extreme feelings about these depictions.

Do you think people with mental illnesses are more prone to creativity? Why or why not?

Absolutely. People with mental illnesses are more into their own feelings and experiences then most other people. We see details in people and situations that others don't always notice.

For me, it has been pointed out that I notice what people say more than others. I hold people to their word because words have always been used against me so I make sure I pay attention to the details of what and how people say things than most. I also am very emotional so I clue into how others are feelings and how I'm feeling than most people. My writing tends to focus more on emotional experiences cause these are things I relate to.

I've noticed others are more focused on visual aspects and observations than I am. I think it just depends on what senses we count on the most and are effected by the most. Then in turn this affects our writing and tunes us into our particular creative outlet.


In what ways are you creative other than writing?

I used to focus on drawing and painting, coloring, crocheting, needlepoint, piano, saxophone, and other instruments. I am creative in lots of ways, but I prefer the art of writing.

Can you think of any (other) pros of your specific mental illness(es)?

The "Pro" of my mental illness besides creativity, is really my ability to be empathetic to others. This really helps me relate to others especially in times of need.