My Mind Isn’t Always a Quiet Place, So I Turn My Feelings Into Art 💜

Living with anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia—and finding a little peace through creativity.

Sometimes I wish I could turn my brain off.

Not forever. Just long enough to enjoy a little peace and quiet.

Because honestly? Living inside my head can be exhausting.

There’s the anxiety that makes me overthink absolutely everything.

The depression that sometimes makes even the things I love feel difficult to enjoy.

And schizophrenia, which can add an entirely different kind of confusion and noise to my thoughts.

It’s a lot.

Some days, my mind feels like 50 browser tabs are open, half of them are frozen, and I have absolutely no idea where the music is coming from. 🙃

Other days, everything feels strangely quiet, but not in a peaceful way.

More like I’m disconnected from the world around me.

And sometimes I don’t even know how to explain what I’m feeling.

That’s where art comes in.

When Words Aren’t Enough

I’ve always been a creative person.

Drawing, photography, digital design, writing, and making my little Cozy Critters are some of my favorite things.

But creativity has become something more than just a hobby for me.

It’s a way to express what I can’t always put into words.

When my anxiety is overwhelming, I can sit down and doodle.

When my emotions are all over the place, I can write.

When I need a break from my own thoughts, I can lose myself in colors, designs, or editing a photograph.

Sometimes I create cute, comforting little animals with relatable quotes.

Other times, I create something that reflects a feeling I’m struggling to understand myself.

And honestly, not everything I make has some deep meaning behind it.

Sometimes I just want to draw a cute little frog because it makes me smile. 😂

And that’s okay, too.

Art Doesn’t Fix Everything

I think this is something important to say.

Being creative doesn’t mean my mental health struggles magically disappear.

I still have difficult days.

I still experience anxiety, depression, and moments when my thoughts feel overwhelming.

Art isn’t a replacement for treatment, support, or taking care of my mental health.

But it gives me somewhere to put some of that emotional energy.

Instead of keeping everything bottled up, I can turn a feeling into something I can see.

A drawing.

A photograph.

A journal entry.

A little critter holding a reminder I probably needed to hear myself.

There’s something comforting about taking the messiness inside my head and turning it into something tangible.

Even if nobody else completely understands it.

Maybe That’s Why I Keep Creating

Sometimes I put a lot of pressure on myself to make something productive out of every creative idea.

A new product for my Etsy shop.

Another blog post.

Another design.

Another project.

But I’m trying to remember that creativity doesn’t always have to become something I sell or share.

Sometimes it can just be for me.

A little escape.

A way to process my emotions.

A reminder that even when my mind feels chaotic, I can still create something beautiful, comforting, or completely ridiculous.

And maybe that’s why I love my little creative world so much.

Because it’s one place where I don’t have to explain every thought or emotion.

I can just create.

A Little Reminder to Myself

I’m not always okay.

My mind isn’t always peaceful.

And some days, simply getting through my thoughts feels like enough work on its own.

But I’m learning that I don’t have to turn every difficult feeling into something positive.

Sometimes I just need somewhere safe to express it.

For me, that’s often art.

My creativity doesn’t erase my struggles, but it reminds me that there’s more to me than what I’m struggling with.

I’m still an artist.

Still a writer.

Still a girl with way too many creative ideas.

And still a 30-something doing her best-ish. 💜

One doodle, photograph, and messy journal entry at a time.

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A little question for you: Do you have something creative that helps you express your emotions when words aren’t enough?

I’d love to hear what gives your mind a little peace.

This is a personal reflection adapted from my original article, This Is What It’s Like in My Head—and Why I Turn It Into Art, on The Abby Juli Journal, where I share my mental health journey and how creativity helps me navigate it.