Creating A Likeness- Helena Sullivan

Does drawing lift my mood when I’m low, or does being low mean I can’t draw?

I’m trying to record the affect of Bi-Polar disorder on my creativity and vice-versa. But I try not to go on and on about it I just get on with the creating.

At times the creative muse leaves the pencils and paints behind, and gets me writing stories and poems instead.

I try to always include my photo’s or craftwork, and there is light-hearted stuff most of the time, deeper stuff sometimes…..

I haven’t worked for a while and the blogging is part hobby, part therapy!!!

Originally I set up the blog to show my pet portraits. I’d post them alongside a photo of the subject for people to judge whether I’d captured a likeness.

After a few months I just stopped drawing and stopped blogging. This coincided with a drop in mood and some real difficulties for me health-wise.

So it occurred to me that it would be interesting to use the blog to record how Bi Polar affects my creativity, and the other way round too.

The low patch had robbed me of any creative spark. But if I pushed myself, got my pens and paints out when I was depressed, would it help me feel better? How would the ability to draw, create, write, change?

I find having the blog pushes me to do something arty, or write something, nearly every day. And I have discovered that pushing the creative spark like this DOES help my mental health! I had a real low patch last Novemeber, but getting the art box out lifted me within days. Previously I’d have been rock-bottom for weeks.

Having the blog motivates me to keep going, keep doodling, keep writing. I’ve discovered this is good for me, but I doubt if I would keep it up if I was doing it just for myself, with no one out there to see it and encourage me on.

Since Autumn 2006

I only added a counter about 18 months into it. Then that one broke, so I put a new one on. That got stuck at 18000 for ages. I really must find a new one. I’ve no idea how many people pop by. I get maybe an average dozen messages left for each post and it really gives me a lift to see that. I don’t know if I’ll ever have enormous numbers, but that has a good side, as it means I can visit their blogs and get to know my regulars a wee bit. Which I couldn’t do if people were coming by in swarms!!

No income from the blog. I didn’t want any adverts on it.
I recently set up a shop online to sell the cards etc. I make, and there is now a link to that from my blog. But no, I don’t expect to get rich!

Someone who likes a relaxing good browse;
have some tea, put your feet up and click through….
artwork, craft, writing, composition, poetry, with clear links to the different categories so you won’t get frustrated looking for it

I really wish I could blog every day. This is my intention and sometimes I achieve it. When I do blog I spend several hours, but this includes photo upload and editing, answering people’s messages and ‘blog hopping’ to see what others are up to!

Because it changes!
Currently I am doing a lot of papercraft.
Next month it might be my writing stint back or painting. Creativity in a Bi-Polar changes like the wind from one project to the next. Subscribe and keep up!

Also, it would really give me a big lift and put a grin on my face all day. Wouldn’t you like that?

Visit other people! When you find ablog you really like, ask yourself why. Is it the layout? The length of each post? Knowing what YOU like will help you make your own better.

Start with the ‘next blog’ button if you have one on your template, or do a search for people with similar interests. Leave comments, regularly.

Soon you will find yourself in a little group of familiar names. From there you can look at what blogs THEY have on their bloglists, and visit those. And then you visit THEIR favourites. It’s like a chain.

Visiting, spending time reading a blog and leaving a comment, all this is very generous use of a person’s time. Appreciate this, and spend some of your time on other bloggers like this and they will soon repay the favour.

Other blogs are the best source of inspiration for things like layout. If you like how someone has tweaked their HTML, ask them how they did it! In my experience fellow bloggers are always really happy to help.

This blog can be visited at http://sketchandcolour.blogspot.com