So anyway, I made the decision to start a Team myself: Expression Over Depression, and drew up the criteria and even made the Team badge one night when the insominia was unbareable. It felt good, it felt like I may be at the heart of a wee community, a vehicle for change as well. Well I soon found that I couldn't cope, oh the irony; I couldn't make the Team into the great chatty, treasury making, shop promoting, gift swapping place I wanted, who did I think I was?!!! I panicked.
In stepped my bestest Pal Rosemary, or Selkie Crochet as she is better know in Etsy circles. She is always on my side and we have one of those realtionships where if I don't hear from her after a days silence I get antsy, lol. She saved me yet again and has continued to run the Team as 'Captain', with me as a very unproductive 'Leader'.
That's not to say that I don't think about the group of people there a lot and I don't plan things we could do to blouster eachother because I do. But I haven't done anything, I haven't pushed myself and today I got that little sign from the Etsy Gods and from Rosemary (thank you!) to got for it, to just try.
This is what I received in the post this morning -
By all rights Rosemary should have kept this and the stickers and temporary tattoo that came as well but she thought I deserved it. She also thought it would cheer me up after the particularly horrendous period I have just been through were I got so caught up in the darkness of Depression that I could only see one way out, one very stupid and selfish and scary-now-to-think-about way out.
** So here I am writing about my Team and I am going to humbly ask them to say hello to you in the comments section - leave a link to their shop or blog. **
I am rejuvenated and I have one person to thank....I love you Rosemary xxxx
UPDATE
I have just been on a random 'walk about' through the members list and I'm sorry to say that so many of the shops are empty, closing, on holiday or not recently stocked so maybe not going so well...umm such is the life of a depressive. Maybe I was jumping the gun earlier with my enthusiasm :(
5 comments:
Oh Carrie, this is such a wonderful story of real Friendship and support!!!!!! A few days ago a wonderful friend I've met online sent me some adorable little cards she had ordered for me all the way from Hawaii... and what they say is "Friends are God's way of taking care of us"... Isn't this just SO TRUE????
I'm so happy for you for having such a wonderful person as Rosemary in your life, and for having found a group of wonderful, supportive people!
I always think that creativity is my way to fight for sanity!!! :) It is indeed the most wonderful therapy around! Oh, and writing my daily journal, of course! :D
Sending loads of love your way!!!!
xxxx
Annuk - I must tell you that you are LOVED and bring such joy and support to me! Hugs galore xxx
Carrie,
I totally understand. Even on daily meds, I still have days and strings of days where I just don't feel the motivation to do anything, or that anything I do doesn't matter to anyone anyways. Thank goodness for also having a husband who at least forces me out of bed. :)
As a result, my goal is to try to make people happy with my art, and art that is happy. Even to the extent of using some of my favorite plushies as models (Mr. Alien).
www.etsy.com/shop/KsHappyImpressions
As depression is about feeling isolated, it's always good to know there are others who know and feel that same exact uncontrollable feeling.
Hugs!
~ Kristianna
Well, I've got to make you smile, don't I?
I relate to your post about friendship. Too long a story to say why, but I have very few close people in my life. I have three particularly close people--one local to me in Rhode Island USA (wonderful, wonderful Michele who is also an artist and who has severe anxiety and is married to a schizophrenic man who is also a friend of mine) and two online friends. The support of these people plus three relatives is essential to my journey through my various disorders.
It is definitely true that our battles make it tough to create, let alone run a shop. I wouldn't lose heart, though. Perhaps all you need is a cadre of committed members and a little publicity. I don't know how comfortable people are in the team about admitting to their mental illness--I was forced to be very open about it through circumstance. Now I don't care who knows, and it is part of my profile and my marketing materials.
Anyway, I am a team member and proud of it. My shop is RhodyArt and the link is rhodyart.etsy.com. I do quirky collage art.
I also write a blog about my dealings with mental illness and how it affects my art at rhodyart.blogspot.com. Come on over and visit
Take care!
lin
Even though I'm not often active on the team boards (I still don't really get how to do team treasuries either) and my shop only gets restocked when I can persuade my silly head that I can "justify" the time to make stuff, it still helps to know you guys are there, supporting and not laying loads of expectations on us.
I think we're the best team in all of Etsy!
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