Student presentations made nervous in grade school. Something about the eager faces waiting for me to goof up, the expectant teacher with her rubric in hand, and the pesky broccoli stuck in my teeth from lunch were sure to give me the heebie jeebies. This blog is not a classroom presentation, but I feel that same weird feeling all over again. One part of me feels like running away and not presenting what I have worked tirelessly on. Another part of me is ready to base-jump into whatever lies below the cliff of my fears. I can either stay afraid or jump into the fray. Today, I choose the fray.

Facing Our Fears

When you hear someone say that they battle depression and anxiety, what comes to your mind? Our American culture has grown sensitive to these words, but depression still holds a unique stigma in our context. Facing these nasty fiends is hard enough, let alone seeking help at risk of exposing your true colors. Even still, I believe that exposing these monsters and seeking help is part of the healing process. You will never be free from the monsters in your closet unless you invite them to leave. They will never leave unless you are formidable enough, or you become vigilant with your own booby traps.

Hope on the Island

Friend, I have a confession for you: depression and anxiety are two monsters I personally deal with. But, I know that I am not the only one on Depression Island. There are some on this island that struggle to be motivated because of the sadness in their hearts. There are others who would rather stay home than face the big bad world “out there.” Some days feel overwhelming, many decisions feels perilous, and joy can be hard to come by. Though the shadows of our giants send us into misery, however, I am convinced that there is hope.

This One’s for You

In this new blog series, I will expose my giants and share practical advice I have uncovered along my journey. This blog series is tailored towards creatives – a rare breed pestered by genius and even insanity. Creative folks like us work hard at our crafts and, if we are not careful, the stress of our art can overtake us. So, in this series I will shine a light on some areas creatives should consider to avoid being overcome by depression and anxiety.

Louie Giglio, in Putting an “X” Through Anxiety, encourages his readers not to “generalize about your condition” (p.32). Your monster wears a name tag and bringing that name to Jesus incites true freedom in the long run. Before you go today, I encourage you to consider this thought: “If my depression and my anxiety had names, what would they be?”

If you have never encountered the hope in Jesus, I’d love to chat.