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Changing Directions
My mind is racing just a bit, as I stumble out the door to walk my dog at 4:30 in the morning. I hear lyrics: “Dark blue, dark blue, have you ever been alone in a crowded room…” I hear a grocery list: bananas, milk, pudding. I feel the wind kick up in a sudden…
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Extra Bones
The podiatrist gestured to my x-rays and proclaimed, “You have extra bones on your toes, nothing that needs surgery,” and that was that. They were thin little bones jutting out of the right side of each of the phalanges. I didn’t use my voice to ask anything about it. Sometimes it takes me a while…
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Lost Marbles Book Review
I remember when I first came across Natasha Tracy’s body of work it was an immersive experience. I read her book, followed her blog and listened to her podcasts. I had previously read other writers with bipolar such as Julie Fast, Kay Redfield Jamison, and Andy Behrman. What initially struck me about Tracy’s work was…
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Story of Her
I have decided if your story matters, in the form of a love letter, then mine must too. Our stories matter. Our rides in your car with the Indigo Girls playing, our hikes up to the rock, our conversations interspersed with longing, all of it matters. The peacefulness that I felt in every fiber of…
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Mood Tracking
I found a great article that includes a download of my favorite mood chart. It’s written by Sarah Lister, a psychologist in Australia. She writes eloquently about reasons for keeping a mood chart, and how to fill one out. If you are looking for an excellent tool to track your moods, check it out!
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I AM NOT SICK, Book Recommendation
I have a family member who is in denial about his mental illness. At least, that’s what I would have said before I read this fascinating book, “I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!” by Xavier Amador. I have since learned that in the case of a person with schizophrenia or other mental illnesses…
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Little Secrets Everywhere
Here I am writing again. Years ago I set up a wordpress blog called “art at 3am” and I never posted anything to it until this morning. I felt the urge to post some artwork and write a little bit about my thought process for each one. I was hypomanic this morning, I could tell…
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Back to the Drawing Board
It has been ten years since I have exhibited any artwork, and almost as long since I have created any art. Recently my husband released an album on band camp and we used a collaboration art piece that we did as the cover. It will also be used as the actual cover for the CD…
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The Friendship Course
Hello everyone! I just wanted to tell you about a new virtual course that I signed up for called “The Friendship Course.” It was created by an artist whose journey I have followed for several years, Kelly Rae Roberts. I have taken her online courses about painting, creativity and mantras, and her new offering is…
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The Sick Child
Recently a thread has woven through my life, a phrase has stuck to my ribs, names have been called, and a life has been defined. It started in my teens when a friend called me a doormat. Then last year, when a co-worker called me the bosses puppet. And just this week, when my coworker…