Question from the comments:
Hi Leah,
This isn’t about knitting, actually. My name is Caitlin and I’ve been reading your site for the past few months. Sorry for lurking, I just never know how to say hi. Hi! Probably just like that. I have not experienced multiple personalities but I have experienced a lot of what you describe in your archives, which I hope you don’t mind that I read. It helps so much to know that there are people out there with lives that are just fine who suffer in some of the same ways I do. I have always been fascinated by your blog tagline: “Flawed but authentic.” One of the things I find most beautiful in your writing is that you do try do embrace flaws as human. And you certainly seem to be striving each day towards an authentic life. Here’s my question: How do you do that??? 😉
I suffer from depression and anxiety disorders and am learning that there may be a large part of my childhood that I have blocked from memory. My biggest struggle is trying to be authentic. With mental illness, how can you even find you self in there to be authentic to? If you have the time, any advice would mean the world to me.
Thank you for you writing, compassion, and beauty.
Hey Caitlin,
The archives are there for the reading. Please feel free to help yourself. I don’t think I feel comfortable answering your question as an authority of authentic-ness since I’m just barely getting by these days. Seriously, I just keep getting up every day and trying my best. I do, however, have some really awesome readers that are super authentic despite depression, illness and sometimes mental disorders. I’m hoping some of them won’t mind chiming in with any tips.
Take good care of yourself.
xo
therapy is good. Sometimes the self-help vatiety works well too especially since eventually you have to do this thing called life yourself. There’s a book (written by a friend of mine) called The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Body Guard… that helped me a lot. it’s sorta like the Artists Way, in that its like 12 steps (or muses) to embracing your creativity (whether you’re an artist or not) ANYWAY, my favorite chapter is the one about the Shadow muse, which is that dark side of yourself. First off, we all have that part of us, and its ok… there are exercises in the book to teach you to channel that energy creatively.
Another book I recently discovered is One Small Step Can Change Your Life.
And finally …Surround yourself with positive, successful people and I don’t mean rich, but people who are pursuing their dreams, who are excited about life– its contagious.