This is the first memory game card I've done for the new 2020 primary songs
Hello! I just wanted to check in and let you all know what's going on. I've been getting lots of messages asking about drawings for the new Book of Mormon curriculum.
Do you ever feel like there just isn't enough time in the world to accomplish all that you want to do? (Of course you do! We all do!) I'm feeling that pretty heavily right now.
I'm still working on the illustrations for the third book in the "What If" series. It's a super fun one! And I love working on it. But I also really love drawing things for primary and with this year's new curriculum I've been dying to do some new Book of Mormon characters too.
I try to prioritize and do at least a little of everything. My first priority is my family. And they are taking up a lot of my time lately. My next priority is the book illustrations. I am spending most of my drawing time on that. But, when my brain gets tired and needs a break from that in order to keep going, I do a little bit of drawing for primary. It's all very slow going right now. (I could swear someone took a few hours out of the day while I wasn't looking.)
So, in other words, I'm putting in a very small amount of time each week into drawing primary stuff. And right now, the primary stuff I'm drawing is memory game cards for the new primary songs. They will still take a while yet to get the whole set done. After that, I will start working on new Book of Mormon characters. I appreciate so much all the words of encouragement and support that I get from all of you. I love you all! Thank you so much!
Here is another factor in the equation. I have depression. I've had it for over 20 years. Most the time I'm fairly good at managing it. But this time of year it's more difficult for me to function normally. I still function. I'm just much slower at everything I do. It's irritating and frustrating. But it is what it is, and I'll get through.
I'm telling you this because I'm making a conscious effort to talk more about mental illness. Last year I read the book "Silent Souls Weeping" by Jane Clayson Johnson. She interviewed over 500 members of the church who have depression. One of the stories she shared has really stuck with me. A woman had two sisters who were both in the hospital at the same time. One had cancer, the other was hospitalized with depression. The sister with cancer had a room full of flowers, cards, balloons, and lots of visitors. Her ward rallied around her and brought meals to her family and helped take care of her husband and children. The sister with depression had none of that. It broke my heart to think of that poor woman all alone in the hospital feeling depressed. A common theme through the book is that mental illness is an invisible disease. As a society we don't talk about it, so we don't know how to help each other through it.
A few weeks ago, our ward asked my husband and I to do the 5th Sunday presentation about it. He is a psycho-therapist. He's really smart and knows a lot about these things, but because of confidentiality laws he can't share stories and personal experiences. I can. So I did. Telling my own experience with depression was one of the scariest and bravest things I've ever done. While I was preparing for it I wanted to back out a hundred times. I didn't want to share such ugly private things about myself. But I kept thinking about that woman alone in the hospital, and I kept thinking that if I could help in even the smallest way - that sacrificing my pride and comfort for a little while would be worth it. That's why I'm sharing here too. Maybe knowing that I struggle with depression will help someone of you out there. I don't know. I still feel awkward bringing it up. But if it helps even a tiny bit- it's worth it to me.
Again, thanks for all your love and support. I hope to have new things to share with you soon. And as always, if you have suggestions for things you'd like drawn, I always love to hear them!
9 comments:
Wow, Susan....wow. You area superstar for talking about this. I know it's hard - it took me years to talk about it, too. Even with a family full of mental illness and the most supportive bunch of folks you could hope for, I couldn't talk about it in first person for a long, long time. Thank you for having the courage to share. That story of Jane's broke my heart. Ugh...such a painful reality. It should be shared in a 5th Sunday lesson everywhere in the Church. So, as if I didn't have enough reasons already to think you hung the moon, let's add "depression survivor" to the list. Thank you for the extra (and by "extra," I mean "monumental") effort you give to create such joyful Primary illustrations on top of every other important thing that is part of your life's work. There is so much love in what you create and so much light in the faces of the children and grown-ups in your art. We feel richly blessed by your gifts and your enormous generosity of spirit. Sending lots of love and prayers your way! - Staci
Thanks so much Staci! Your words give me a lot of strength. I truly believe we need to talk about mental illness - all kinds- so much more than we do. It's so much more common than we realize. I think it's something like 1 in every 4 people have depression. That's not even factoring in anxiety or ADHD which are the other two most common issues. It seems silly that we don't talk about it. kudos to you for opening up about your own problems. Even to a supportive family, it's difficult. I'm glad to be in the same boat with you. :)
Yay for an update, even if it's a somber one. I have found myself surrounded by more people who suffer from depression and/or anxiety than do I without. It's a very real part of society. My sister has a gambit of mental health issues so I always appreciate some insight into how I can best serve her. I would have loved to be in that 5th Sunday lesson. Thanks for sharing and keeping us up to date! Love and prayers!
Thanks for sharing Susan. I have struggled with depression for a long time as well. I didn't really know anything about it until I worked as a medical scribe with a doctor. I got to see him talk with all these patients and hear their side of the story. I took notes and ordered medication, so I was very involved and saw first-hand what it took to work through this mental illness. My doctor always said that the most successful treatment is a combination of medication and counseling/cognitive therapy together, and I found this to be true. In the beginning I had the thought that people with depression just need to buck up and be happy. Then I learned for myself what depression is and that it can get better. I believe one of the main reasons I got that job was Heavenly Father's way of teaching me about myself and showing me how I could get help too. What a blessing!
Thanks for sharing your fantastic art with us and helping us in our church callings. I'm so glad I found your blog and shop!
Holly
Thanks so much for all your support and comments. I appreciate them so much. I have found that on top of medication and therapy when needed, that diet and exercise are a necessary part of managing depression. I struggle with those two. I have a real sweet tooth, but sugar more than anything else has a huge impact on me.
I think diabetes is a perfect comparison to depression. In diabetes, your pancreas can't process sugar in your system leaving your body chemically unbalanced. You have to treat it with medication, diet and exercise. Depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain. The neurotransmitters don't process the serotonin (chemical that makes you feel happy) You have to treat it with medication, diet and exercise too.
In my opinion, if you want to help someone with depression, just love them. When I am depressed,(I can't speak for everyone) I don't have the energy to interact with the outside world. Talking or going out to lunch or something may be more than I can handle. But a nice little note, or text that I don't have to reply to would be great. Or leaving dinner on my doorstep. That kind of thing.
Thank you all again for being so supportive and understanding. Lots of love to you!
You are so brave! Thank you for speaking out and sharing.
You are a very talented lady for sure! Thank you for expressing such feelings! They are absolutely most helpful. You are a wonderful woman. I hope you will be inspired to share more when you feel you can. Thanks for sharing your talents with the world. I most definitely need them!
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Thanks for sharing this Susan! I was looking for Primary illustrations when I ran across this post. I also struggle with depression and can relate to your struggles! This also gives me the courage to be more open about it on my blog. Thanks so much!
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