I would like to take this opportunity to write a "few" lines. I have no formal training in any area of writing. All the work that I have thus far accomplished has been mostly creative and under my own accord. Therefore, I am entirely self-proclaimed. My passion for the written word began several years ago, completely out of the blue. I had always been a highly creative individual with a wild imagination, who possessed a certain degree of literary ability, but I had never really considered writing before. The idea to write as just a past-time first entered my mind after I found myself growing increasingly more jaded and dejected. I needed something to do, something productive and meaningful. Internet surfing and the ol' boob tube just weren't doing it for me anymore. Then the idea of trying my hand at writing entered my head, and I've been writing ever since. For the most part, writing has been the greatest of pleasures, but I have my days. Suffering from anxiety and depression, there are times when I just cannot concentrate, or the flow of my ideas (forgive me if I sound cliché) becomes obstructed. Another thing I struggle with is finding the motivation to actually write and dealing with self-deprecating thoughts on a regular basis. So if there are any writers out there, familiar with the hindrances associated with a mental illness, please be so kind as to offer some advice. Many thanks.
Hi, Kaity, and welcome to the forum! Please read the rules, participate, and have fun. I'm sure you'll find others here who are in similar situations to yours. I sometimes am, myself - I'm often depressed and anxious, but I've never been diagnosed with any mental illness. (This may be because I hate going to doctors - I almost never do, unless my leg falls off or something like that.) The most effective thing I've found to keep myself writing is to keep a rigid schedule. I do most of my writing in the early morning, when there's nothing on TV and I can muster up the wherewithal to stay off the internet for a while. I also like to write away from the computer, at least when I'm doing a first draft. I just use pen and paper - for some reason, it helps me focus. I guess I'm lucky in that I like the look of my handwriting; I feel like I'm creating art when I'm writing by hand. Anyway, what works for me won't necessarily work for you. You'll have to experiment to find your own method. Good luck!
