Painting or drawing can be more than just a form of expression. Creative outlets can also be used a tool to vent emotional or mental stress or organize thoughts and feelings.
Michele Vanderwal runs a local press called the Rose Garden Press, and she uses writing and painting to help her organize her thoughts and emotions.
Book written by Michele Nicole and Michelle Arnette
“I’m willing to share that I’ve been struggling with mental health for as long as I can remember. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to navigate it and organize how that looks. And I found that [creative outlets] help get the noise out of my head and sift through it all.”
Vanderwal has been journaling for a long time, and she’s always used it as an outlet to clear her mind. “I’ve spent a lot of time talking to people and trying to get it out that way, but I just find that [talking] is not always beneficial,” says Vanderwal.
She says that writing it out before talking to someone really helps her get a better sense of her thoughts and feelings. “You can always look back and read [what you wrote] and make sense of it that way.”
But writing isn’t always the answer. Vanderwal says, “I find that when I don’t have words available to me, painting can be a better outlet. Sometimes words are just not enough.”
Painting by Michele Vanderwal
Especially last month, Vanderwal’s go-to creative outlet has been painting. She says that sometimes it’s hard to jot down a scenario in detail or can hurt emotionally as it can remind us of a situation that may not be the most pleasant.
But whether it’s writing or painting, Vanderwal finds that putting her struggles with mental health on paper really helps her organize what she’s feeling.
