Author: Joy Murray

I'm a 60 year old artist in Memphis, Tennessee. I spend my life trying to catch stories, give them form, color and light, then send back out into the world.

Drawing Depression #10

Posted in Uncategorized3 Comments

Seeing clearly:

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I’m drawing daily to help manage depression.  If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here.  You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and shares are appreciated.

Drawing Depression #9

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I went to the medical clinic yesterday.  It’s always interesting to watch people there.  Big dramas are unfolding in the quiet halls.  You pass strangers and can only glimpse a small window into their lives.  The pens I worked with on this sketch weren’t waterproof, so I got some washy effects for my view of this lady.  After painting it, I relined the face with a thicker felt tip pen.  It’s still wonky, but so much of life is.

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I’m drawing daily to help manage depression.  If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here.  You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and shares are appreciated.

Drawing Depression #8

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I didn’t get a chance to draw yesterday.  Wednesdays I have a full schedule mentoring children and participating in community activities. Before I went on medicine, part of my self treatment for depression was to make sure I spent time volunteering and being involved in the lives of other.  Depression causes me to want isolation, so I try  to make ways to keep that from happening.  When I’m up, I make commitments that are hard to break when I’m down.  Although I have nothing against taking a day off when I’m really low, having meaningful interaction with others becomes a strong motivator.  Now that I’m back on meds, I’m struck by how much more I enjoy these commitments.  That undercurrent of weariness gets washed away in the good company of others.

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I’m drawing daily to help manage depression.  If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here.  You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Drawing Depression #7

Posted in Uncategorized2 Comments

Sometimes, I feel weird about having to take so much medication.  I have to take 6 different prescription to manage my transverse myelitis.   It’s that feeling that made me quit taking anti-depressants to begin with.   If I change my attitude about it, though, I know that everything I take is making my life better.  I know many people have trouble with medicines, especially anti-depressants, but they’ve helped me.  Today I drew about the return of humor:

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I’m drawing daily to help manage depression.  If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here.  You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.