I saw this quote on IG a couple of days ago, and I want to discuss it.
Well, I guess I mean reflect, because I’m here writing by myself, listening to music after a pretty awesome day.
Although, I do welcome comments.
The opposite of depression
is not joy, it’s
expression.So create, create, create.
It is the soul’s medicine.
I don’t know who to credit for this quote, so I can only share the link to the account where I saw it.
I know that depression is complex, and we often don’t have control over our mental health the way many believe. However, the idea behind the quote immediately resonated with me because I haven’t been struggling to regulate my mood as much as I have in the past.
I am also creating more than I ever have.
Like, ever.
Is it correlation? Maybe, and I’m sure there are a ton of variables in play, like my stage in life, my kids’ ages, etc., but hear me out.
A year and a half ago, I committed to blogging again, just for me. The plan was to set 25 goals for 2025 and check in with them weekly.
Throughout that year, I started to find my voice again. Just the sheer act of writing weekly was therapeutic. I had this space to get out of my head and just share thoughts. It’s my journal. My place to brain-dump. And the commitment I made to check in weekly were the first bricks of a foundation I built that has snowballed into all sorts of other ways I express myself.
For starters, cooking. I’ve always cooked, but last year, I challenged myself to try sourdough and pasta making. I kept (and still keep) experimenting with new recipes, and now I’m pretty proficient at both and better at cooking than I’ve ever been.
Food has always been a means of expression for me. I enjoy cooking and trying new things. It makes me happy! I mean… food in general makes me happy, but food I make myself, even more so!
Then, this year, I decided I would test Bob Ross’s theory that talent is just pursued interest, and six months in, I have no doubt he’s right.
Today I sat on my deck for 15 minutes and just played the guitar.
Just played it… like I knew what I was doing!
I’ve been consistently getting better and better with the simple commitment to practice a few days a week. Am I going to be joining a band any time soon? No. I can’t even play a song from beginning to end that anyone could recognize, but now I can just pick it up and express myself through a melody with simple chord changes, and I just play what I think sounds good, and I love it. It’s one of my favorite ways to relax now, and I’m not even good at it!
Today I also finished a painting I started earlier in the week for a birthday card, and I love it! Watercolor was something I challenged myself to start last year as well, and over the last two years, I’ve gotten more and more confident with it. Now I paint cards for family and friends as a way to not only express myself but also show love.
And now, while my schedule is a little more open because I’m off contract and only teaching two classes, I have been more expressive on social media, sharing my WastelesslyDelicious ideas, editing videos, and honestly, having a blast.
So, do I think expression can “cure” depression? No, but for me, it has made me happier, content even, and more prepared to deal with the insanity of the world.
I have more patience with my kids and students. I’m singing loudly in the car again, like I used to. I feel more regulated, and more interested in connecting with people again. That was something I lost a few years ago, and it was scary. I’ve always been a people person, but during and after the pandemic, I just didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t even want to be around people which didn’t feel like me.
Now, I’m actually crying as I write this.
Expressing this has undoubtedly been good for my soul. 🙂
Let me touch base on this year’s goals so I have the record for myself. It’s been a couple of weeks…
2026 Goal Tracking
Cooking/Food
#SaladTime
Revised Goal: 5 Big Salads a Week ✅
I’ve been maintaining this goal so well that I may just remove it from rotation. I now need to make a second trip to the grocery store just to pick up more greens midweek!
Weekly Soup/Stew/Prep
Goal: Once a Week ✅
Food prep is on point; weekly soup, not so much since it’s the off-season. But I’m leaving the check mark. I am satisfied with how my weekly prep is going.
Sourdough
Goal: Once a Week ✅
YES! And I may have made my best loaf this week!
pic
Homemade Pasta
Goal: Once a Month
- January 1/9 ✅
- February 2/15 ✅
- March 3/1 ✅
- April 4/18 ✅
- May 5/14 ✅
- June
I may need to squish this one in. I like the challenge. I’m on it next week!
Evan in the Kitchen
Goal: Once a Week ❌ Retired
Revised Goal: Weekly Teen Sanity Check-In
Day trip to NYC was a blast! I shared some photos on IG. He’s at work right now. So proud of him lately.
Fitness/Weightlifting
Olympic Lifting Training
Guys… I am KICKING ASS right now. Training is on point! I posted a few videos of my lifts this week with some reflection.
Handstands/Pull Ups/Jump Rope
Did some work on these today. I hit 94 unbroken DUs… so DAMN close to my 100 unbroken goal!!
Hikes
- Goal: Twice a month
- January 1/3, 1/15, 1/23 ✅
- February ❌
- March 3/21, 3/28 ✅
- April 4/3, 4/12 ✅
- May 5/9, 5/24 ✅
- June 6/6, 6/21
I took Marsh back on the trails this past Sunday!
Hot Yoga
- Goal: Twice a month
- January 1/4, 1/11, 1/18 ✅
- February 2/1 ❌
- March 3/1, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29 ✅
- April 4/12, 4/18, 4/25 ✅
- May 5/9, 5/23, 5/30 ✅
- June 6/6, 6/27 ✅
I’m going tomorrow, so I am green-checking it.
Pickleball
No Pickleball the past two weeks. 🙁
Creative/Other Pursuits
Music/Painting
See intro above.
Acting Class/Drum Lessons
My friends and I are going back! We scheduled 3 more acting classes. I’ll report back next week.
Spanish
I’ve just been keeping up with Duolingo.
Alcohol Reduction
- Goal: No more than two days of drinking a month.
- January 1/1, 1/31 ✅
- February 2/1, 2/21 ✅
- March 3/21 ✅
- April 4/1, 4/2, 4/18 ❌
- May 5/16, 5/23 ✅
- June 6/20
Had a little wine at a BBQ I hosted this past weekend.
Looking Ahead
Next week’s a busy one. We kick it off with day trip on Sunday for a family event. I have acting class Monday night. I teach Tuesday. Wednesday, dentist. Thursday, class and then the holiday weekend. So much for a summer break. lol
5 replies on “Expressing (y2W26)”
I was thinking in the same direction recently. I don’t think there’s a simple cure for clinical depression, but I as looking back at periods of my life when I felt I was accomplishing my goals, and my automatic thought process was that “things were easier because I was happier back then”. But then there was no objective reason for me to be happier, and I am starting to think that the procewss was actually going the other way around – the happiness was a result of my accomplishments. Perhaps that happiness helped me keep going long term, but the initial efforts are what made me happy in the first place.
When I look back at happy times it’s always a period in which I was doing the things I wanted to be doing instead of thinking about doing them or avoiding them.
Sometimes it feels like a switch I have. I hold myself back out of fear or doubt, but when I say “F-it” and just start “doing” it always leads to more contentment regardless if I’m even good at said thing.
Does that even make sense?
Yes, it does 🙂
Depression is such a tricky thing to deal with. There’s the stigma that it’s just all in your head, it’s a choice, and you should just suck it up buttercup. There are drugs one can try but many, me included, question if they are really helping or are just convenient for doctors to prescribe medications. (is distrust, part of depression? hmmm?) One has to accept that their depression is affecting them and needs to be ‘fixed’.
I could go on and on, and I bet you could too! hahaha
I know, for me, the first sign that I am going into a depressed period is when I seriously contemplate taking down my art/quilt/craft studio. Why do we do that? Doing something creative DOES help one deal with depression. So why does our brain seek to deny us that pleasure? I dunno.
I do know that YOU are doing great! Love reading your insights and often find myself nodding along in agreement. 🙂
And yes, that little bit with the guitar is/was very therapeutic IMHO. So keep those strings near you for whenever the mood hits you, to play a little tune.
My husband often laments that he always wanted to be a rock star but now, at age 65+, he doesn’t think it will happen. He often compares his music to the original composer or band, saying it’s just not the same, when he plays it. “But darling, you are NOT the original creator of the song!!! You are playing YOUR version of a song. That’s good enough.” It’s also better than many people can do. So just do it.
OMG Same.. anytime I start to pull away from social media and think about closing down my accounts and removing my websites… I know depression is looming. I am so really self aware of it too that is has become a red flag for me to take more walks, eat better, etc.