Creative outlets

Not using a penname? I always did.

I like to paint and draw. I sometimes write in a couple of blogs that I have. I also really like to to make collages.

believe it or not I was once quite the writer. since I was a kids into most of college I won awards and was always expected to use it to write a book someday.

alas BP (and I am POSITIVE it is the BP) has stolen my words. I'm lucky if I can write a complete sentence anymore. I cant blame it on meds because I'm never on them long, I just think the times I went through back to back major episodes and then the psychotic break really did some damage.

and then it began attacking my memory and my focus so I cant even read long books anymore. I still collect them because I like having them around

I'm only 37 but my mind feels so damaged.
Recently I have been printing out poems that touch me and have been trying to at least read those
I figure I will probably just end up building a big collection instead.

Well I cant seem to keep any post on PC shorter than a novel tonight so maybe there is luck for me yet!

I can so relate to your post. I am studying Writing at university and can barely read a novel let alone write one. I am hoping this is just a phase and I will be back into being creative soon. At least I am learning in the process.

I hope the muse and creativity returns to you.

Wasn't my name, more of taking on a heavy load and imploding when I sank out of my baseline, into mania and than depression.

Understood. That's happened to me a lot. I've always been bipolar, when I look back.

May everyone fine themselves intertwined with a muse

That might be fun - have you read John Fowle's novel 'Mantissa'?

I tried once, when hyperdpressed. I couldn't concentrate on the cover, much less the contents. I'll consider it again if you give me the reason you brought it up

Because it's all about being intertwined with a Muse

I've been stuck on "Jitterbug Perfume" in thinking of muse. That's a very emotional book for me, because it was a romance of sorts that my ex and I loved.

My creative side didnt kick in till my BP manifested when I was like 30, but always had a light depressive and social anxiety.

My manias are when Im most creative and I go way overboard, always make projects way beyond that I need and when I crash into depression the projects crash too.

Ah the elusive muse!

I write poetry and post it on Instagram.

Ah, not actually read any Robbins.....

'Tender is the night' does that for me.

That mania makes everybody creative, I believe. I start building electronics at that point. I love a good Chu Moy headphone amp. My last one had about $75 worth of parts in it but it really only takes around $10 to do it very nicely. I like to do crazy installs too, things that work amazingly, but you can't really tell where it is or what it is. I've built a couple of small wattage class A sub amps in the last year, making $100 each after costs, but way backwards on time on them. I was told one sounded better than the $700 RF setup they had, and I agree.