Hi loves,
How are you doing? I know this is just a blog post, but I so mean it when I ask. So please let me know.
I understand this is a time of high stress, and so anyone with a tendency toward anxiety/depression may be really feeling it right now. As someone who identifies as anxiety-prone, I speak from experience.
I was chatting with my mum and explaining to her that, in fact, it's my tendency to get wound up about things that leads me to swing from one extreme to the next. To explain: when all this news about COVID-19 surfaced, I brushed it off. I brushed it off as it got worse. And even still now, I find myself brushing it off as it's exploded.
But it's not because I do not understand the gravity of the situation. It's not about being flippant.
Truth is, like so many sensitive people (maybe like you), when difficult situations arise, they hit me hard. Really hard to the point where they can be debilitating. Whether that's a fight with a friend, a breakup, or a global pandemic—my core is shaken more easily than the average. Call it a softer core. And so, because of that softness, there's a natural urge to self-protect. To deny what's happening. To paste a smile across lips and be the cheerleader we all need right now.
But then there comes the point where denying is no longer possible—when the city shuts down; when the only messages that seem to flash onto my phone have to do with all this; when my circle of sunny humans begins to feel dampened by this persisting, stubborn shade. And that's when anxiety crops up. Or depression. Or old "coping mechanisms" thought kicked a long time ago.
I know I'm not alone in this. And that's the point of this post. I've met a few creatives in the past few days—not anywhere in particular, mostly cashiers at food stores that I know, just from chatting with them for a couple of minutes, have a similar, soft core. We share this outward positivity, this desire to bring a bit of play and humour to a difficult time. But I also know, underneath all that, we share a sensitivity that can engulf us into a darkness, if we're not mindful.
So, again, I ask how are you guys, because I know it helps to open up and truly express. You may not want to open up to me, and that's okay, but please talk to someone. Please don't turn toward unhealthy coping mechanisms. Please use this time to make art as you are called to, as you've been called to since birth. And if your creative juices feel stuck, please use this time to reflect and sit with yourself, and think about your sunny future—where you want to go, what you want to hone in on, what you want to release, what you want to explore...
Alright, that's it from me, loves.
Sending love and light to you all,
Mackenzie
