Category: Art

Unlocking My Potential

Unlocking My Potential

Author: Vasavi Kumar   Living with bipolar disorder has been a tumultuous and unpredictable journey, filled with highs of mania and lows of depression that have left me feeling as though I’m on a rollercoaster ride that I can’t get off. The intense...

Trapped Light

Trapped Light

Author: Sophia Falco Those lovely fireflies are prisoners in a glass jar on her kitchen table. Their trapped light on display like the diminishing light within my being. Depression is trying to extinguish my light, but I hid the fire extinguisher under my bed whereas...

“Everything’s Not Lost”: Song Review

“Everything’s Not Lost”: Song Review

Author: Sophia Falco “Everything’s Not Lost”, this wonderfully optimistic song, by Coldplay came into my life when I discovered I needed it while in the midst of a challenging depression. These lyrics spoke to me because of their duality of the rawness and the pain...

The Bipolar Creative Genius

The Bipolar Creative Genius

Author: Jasper James “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness” – Aristotle It has long been said that those with bipolar disorder are more creative than average. Famous bipolar individuals of the past include Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra, and...

How Poetry Frees Me From Suffering

How Poetry Frees Me From Suffering

Author: Sophia Falco Poetry is what grounds me. I believe in this realm of poetry that I have complete control which is ever so important for me as an individual affected by bipolar disorder for nearly a decade. I have control over my pen and paper (or my laptop and...

Channeling Feelings Through Art

Channeling Feelings Through Art

Author: Susann Brox Nilsen My mother, who is an artist, taught me early on to draw and to be creative. I drew and wrote stories my whole childhood, my imagination had no end. This gradually stopped during my teenage years though, and for many years I wasn’t...

Finding Solace In Art Therapy

By: Emily McGuigan “If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” ~ Edward Hopper As an artist with Generalized Anxiety Disorder(GAD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), I have primarily used drawing and painting to help me cope with and explain...

The Soup in My Head

The Soup in My Head

“This drawing is called ‘The Soup in My Head’ and was drawn by my friend Julia. We were having coffee time together and I shared with her my fear of planning something ahead as I often have fozzy, foggy mood, and moodswings, although I take lithium...

Ang Aking Paglayag sa Mundo ng Sining sa Kabila ng Kakaibang Kalagayan ng Aking Kaisipan

Ang Aking Paglayag sa Mundo ng Sining sa Kabila ng Kakaibang Kalagayan ng Aking Kaisipan

This article is available in English here. Sa kabila ng ilang mga kapansanan sa pag-iisip na tinataglay ko at kasalukuyang nag-gagamot para sa mga ito, masasabi kong hindi talaga ako pala-halubilo sa tao. Mas madalas na gusto kong mapag-isa. Kahit na ganito,...

Learning Through Art and Others

Learning Through Art and Others

Apart from the mental conditions I was diagnosed with and am being treated for, I am a recluse and an introvert by nature. Even so, neither of those make me remorseful nor ashamed. I admit though, whenever I am “comme ci, comme ça,” I still do try to be a...

Celebrating Mental Health Milestones

Celebrating Mental Health Milestones

I recently planned my Drug Treatment Court Graduation. In July I will successfully graduate; the courtroom will be full of my guests and other participants. Each member of the seven panel treatment team — including the judge — will take time to give me accolades,...

David Bowie: You’ll Always Be A Hero To Me

David Bowie: You’ll Always Be A Hero To Me

When tormented musicians perish I overrelate. It becomes more about me than the departed. This is about him. David Bowie. The King of ‘Sound and Vision,’ crossed divides of age, fame, race, sexuality, politics, and style with theatrical flair and...

Messiah Complex

My name is Marek Danielewski and I have been diagnosed properly with Bipolar Disorder for about 9 years. While I know I suffered longer, I found ways of self-therapy and treatment. I wanted to submit my art and ideas on ‘bipolar and art’ to the blog to inform, inspire...

New Hobby to Consider: Coloring Books for Adults!

New Hobby to Consider: Coloring Books for Adults!

I know what you’re thinking, “A coloring book? Has she lost her mind?” But studies have shown that adults struggling with mental illnesses have benefitted greatly from coloring books geared for grown-ups and I’m one of them! I was given one for my 29th birthday...

Creativity

Creativity

I sometimes wonder how and why many people who have bipolar disorder feel and become creative. I know, for example, when I am in mania I become far more into writing, descriptions, and reading book after book. I crave to live outside my life most of the time, but...

Bipolar Disorder- A Fiddler on My Roof

Bipolar Disorder- A Fiddler on My Roof

I recently directed a high school production of Fiddler on the Roof. For those of you who may not know it, this is the story of a simple milkman in 1905 Russia who tries to keep the traditions of his Jewish culture and the desires of his contemporary daughters in...

Drop-In Peer Centers for Behavioral Health: An Exploding Trend

Drop-In Peer Centers for Behavioral Health: An Exploding Trend

One of the reasons I am glad that I moved to Florida is that it led me to a peer run drop in center near my house called Rebel’s Drop In. In my small county, Broward, between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade, we have 5 of these centers. Peer run drop in centers average 5 per...

Creative Minds Want To Know

Creative Minds Want To Know

Much has been written and said about a potential link between the hypomanias of Bipolar Disorder and creativity.  Last month’s Webinar, Igniting The Creative Fire: The Neurobiology Of Creativity In Bipolar Disorder With Dr. Mohammad Alsuwaidan, explored the link...

Art as a Kind of Therapy

Art as a Kind of Therapy

Even before I knew I had bipolar disorder, I have always loved art. I used to spend my afternoons in high school (I was unschooled) wandering around the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, where I grew up. Since moving to Saint Louis for college, I have spent many...

Advice for the Newly Diagnosed

Advice for the Newly Diagnosed

I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type II disorder on January 28, 2014 and I want to write my first blog post in this space about some of the things I wish I had known then. Here is what I wish someone would have sat down and told me on that Tuesday morning: It...

Silent Madness

  This poem I wrote about bipolar. I wrote it to express how I felt years ago when my bipolar was at its worst. I hope this poem inspires you and speaks to the core of which you are, I know there are many who can relate. There is always...

Importance of Hospitalization

     I hope my readers are taking it day by day. Remember don’t ever let the light inside of you dim. This month’s topic I’m going to address is ”Why hospitalization is so important and what important and positive role does it play in a person’s...

Glove

Glove

When I was five years old, my father suffered a bipolar breakdown and was sent to a psychiatric institution. It started him on a long descent from top IBM salesman to homeless on the streets of Brooklyn some 20 years later. Our relationship followed a similar...

End of the Day

For the past twenty years I’ve been a closet songwriter. During my first year attending the University of California at Santa Cruz, I was a regular at open mike night and I belonged to my school’s Concert Choir.  Our final concert was an exotic piece sung...

GO AHEAD; EVERYBODY ELSE DOES!

We probably all feel this way at times.  Hopefully you will not mind too much that this is another self-portrait.  Now, if I could just figure out which bird I am today… This is another painting from my series entitled “Bipolar...

Awareness through the Eyes of Van Gogh

We all know the importance of mental health awareness, and doing our part of erasing the stigma that still surrounds Disorders like Bipolar. As March 30th approaches which is World Bipolar Day, it’s also Van Gogh’s birthday who is a well known Dutch impressionist...

EVERYBODY KNOWS ONE

EVERYBODY KNOWS ONE

 And sometimes it’s me!  Anyone who is around me when I’m in a mania knows that I’m loud, speak rapidly and make sure that everyone knows that I’m the expert on any subject that comes up.   My wife thinks that the resemblance is...

Bipolar Too

                 Middle of the Road Rapid Cycling War & PeaceMy name is Roger and I suffer from Bipolar Disorder 2. This blog almost did not get written. I informed Ashley at the International...

A Song About Lithium

Today I am focusing on Evanescence’s song Lithium. Lithium is a drug sometimes associated with bipolar disorder since it has been fairly successful in helping stabilize manic and depressive episodes. Lithium was first used to treat mania in 1970. Kay Jamison wrote...

Keep On Trying

Ten years ago a dear friend of mine gave me a little book during my very first hospital stay called Keep on Trying which is centered around a kitten. I have been reminded of that book in many different ways over the last year through two dear friends. It has inspired...

Writing Angry

I don’t know about you but I have a serious problem, writing Angry. Doesn’t sound that bad right? Well for someone like me, a professed writer (blogger), it can be. It can put your life/career/hobby on hold for an extended amount of time. It can cause writers block....

Voltaire

 The most courageous decision you make each day is the decision to be in a good mood.I simply could not sleep last night. I tried, as we so often find ourselves doing, endeavouring to master and victoriously conquer the alluring and devilish seductress of sweet...

Understanding the Ball of Yarn

Those of us with some form of Bipolar, understand how our minds work. Most of us are gifted with creativity that drives us, especially during manic times. But for those reading this who do not have Bipolar, the creative aspect of Bipolar may be a bit of a mystery....

You make it through this because you are me and I was you

Over the last 6 months I have been pondering a lot about coming of age in the mental health system. Many times I thought of how many different stages I went through and how I would have loved to know during each stage in my coming into adulthood and later that...

Valentine’s Day

A day of love.Flowers.Cake.Chocolate.But what does Valentine Day really signify?A day where you open your heart to someoneSomeone you admire.Someone you always wish the best for.Someone who has been there for you thin and thick.Why not this year, you open your hearts...

Conquest

In a week, I will begin my last semester as an undergraduate student.I am taking my last three classes to graduate with bachelors in chemistry.A degree that not only help me further my dreams of becoming a doctor, but the thoughts that I’ve conquered something.I have...

The End

We’ve finally made it to the end of the year.First of all, I want to congratulate you for making it through one more year.Glad you are alive.Glad you’ve made it through 2012.Having bipolar disorder… you really don’t know when you will just snap.Snap and just do what...

Bipolar Lullaby

Counting sheepChase the thoughtsAnd shutdown my racing mind.Counting the flock just doesn’t stopThose endless thoughts of mine.Enter baa baa black sheepIn a small prescription form.He comes in twos, but I make him fourWhen I crack him always in half,Or grind him up in...

Thoughts from One to Another

Sometimes when I walk the world I wish you knew me.I also wish I knew me too.Only memories plague my mind.But, the memories don’t tell me who I am or whether I ever knew who I was.It’s just blank.I am more than I see.I am stronger than I think.I am more knowledgeable...

Mental Health Month

 What a great idea, I thought. I’d write a blog for Mental Health week and especially for Mental Health blogging day, May 16, 2012.Then, I considered what I’d blog about. There are so many topics out there to learn more about and to give information.However, I...

Mental Health Awareness Month

I would like to say how happy I am to be blogging at the International Bipolar Foundation! Happy is a very interesting word because it indicates that you’re in a good place…The International Bipolar Foundation IS such A GOOD place. Especially if you deal...

Winter Soul

Dedicated to the winters of my soul – because hibernation is as much a part of life as hyper-nation :)I used to fear the crashNow I know it can be more like a deeper diveSee different thingsOr see things differentlyFeel differentlyOr feel nothing at allJust...

A Letter to Amy Winehouse

For Amy and other women who carry chaos.If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.-Zora Neale Hurstonthis flame and flickerwas not meant to last this longwe were not meant to chase the sun this oftenuncertain, as we are, that the days...

Sadness Returns Quietly

So this sadness returns quietly. Always quietly. No great trumpeting or horn blast. No drum circle or full bodied gospel wail. No stunning metaphor or dazzling simile. There is only this throbbing and distant and empty and quiet. Always this white noise of rush and...

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