[Bri_Cnqr]

I feel as though years of chronic depression as degraded my creativity. I was hoping to see if others have experienced a similar phenomena, & if anyone has successfully pushed back & recaptured that imagination. If so, how?

[winter4me]

Yes Yes Yes.
At times I push back successfully for periods of time and this is exactly what I need to do now---I do find it helps to go to new places & see things (eg: If I can get myself to, I go to art galleries, museums, get to a city and walk the streets to see colors, shapes, faces, variety & I 'window shop' for ideas/inspiration. Or go camping for a week, preferably two as it takes real time to actually relax and leave the other crap behind...for me anyway...
I also find collage helpful, just snag mags from offices, library discards etc & get paper and scissors---surprising what is in the head I don't think I am thinking about---I want to do some multimedia---

[winter4me]

What do you want to do?

[Bri_Cnqr]

Originally Posted by winter4me

What do you want to do?

To be honest, I don't know specifically, but I feel it's important to experiment with getting out of my comfort zone as well as occasionally do something non-linear. I think part of the strategy, as I see it, isn't necessarily about doing what I want to do per se, as it is about getting outside of the familiar. Just me brainstorming.

[MtnTime2896]

My creativity has definitely crumbled right before my eyes the worse I've gotten. I still write but it's very dark and reality based. I used to come up with creative and mystical stories. I always had new ideas. Now, my ideas have to be fought for. And that's what I do, I force myself to write until ideas form. I figure, if I keep doing this, my creativity will return.

[Olanza-what?]

I am currently in PHP therapy. I learned a concept this past week called "Mindfulness". It's a technique that can be applied to any situation and all is required is that you be in the moment, be present in what ever it is you are doing...coversations,work or crafts and even watching a tv show...apply, who, what, when and why's and totally be imerged....take baby steps but while you're in the moment don't concentrate on what or how you feel, concentrate purely on what it is you are doing,,,when finished, then reflect on how much you got from it, what you could have done to engage more and how great it felt to accomplish it.

It's not an easy thing to do, and I am struggling with applying it as well, I've had some small successes and it can be rewarding in succeeding in small tasks. I hope this was helpful and I am aware that what works for others may not work for me/you, but trying is the first step and failure plus trying = success.

I wish you well and always be good to you first!