Self love is the gateway to understanding and valuing your worth in the creative world. The biggest problems creatives encounter tend to be depression and self hate. The sheer amount of times you hear “I am my own worst critic” should tell you it is the motto of the creative community. Enduring the hate of strangers is nothing compared to the hate we put on our projects to be perfect. Creatives will literally bare their soul for a project to be great only to have the world crumble it up, spit it out, or misinterpret its meaning.

If you are a creative some things I’ve learned to cope with the depression and writers block include:

• Learning a new skill – I take myself completely out of the element and pursue something that brings me joy in the short term. Most recently I learned how to make sushi from a beginners class I took and the instructor gave me a gem about patience with the process of success.
• Meditation – My best friend has been trying to get me on the wave for so long, but when I finally looked up some techniques, I realized when I control my breathing it alters my physical mood and heightens my energy.
• Walking – now I know they say exercise helps with depression because it gets your heart pumping, but you also know that if you’re depressed, getting out of bed is an olympic event. Since I have stairs at my house I will simply walk downstairs to get water and that makes me feel accomplished. But then again I’m a fluffy gyal so i’m sure my body appreciates it lol.
• DRINK WATER – Since I cut back on soda and most sugary juices I have broken out less. big ole shocker I know right, but I increased my water consumption to compensate the lacking intake of fluids and the side affect of having to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes stresses me out but not nearly as much as pimples all over my face like a teenager.
• Keep a Journal – I know that sound like something for a 16 year old girl, but it’s helpful in tracking your emotions and a very therapeutic release of emotions. “Sometimes a piece of paper is the only thing that will listen” and honestly sometimes you just want to be heard without judgement.

Let’s not reinvent the wheel here, but understand that this is information that is literally everywhere, but not everyone stands by it because they don’t experience what you experience. I have battled and still continue to battle depression on a daily basis so I understand the struggles. I have repeatedly used and will continue to use these methods to push thru my creative blocks and thrive. If you have some other things to add and share, leave it in the comments!