Pained Artist

Processing our hardship can be therapeutic. Often we choose to ignore the stress and pain, hoping it will dissipate on its own. It won’t. After years of suffering from crippling anxiety, I have now learned that vulnerability is my friend. It is foolish to deal with pain outside of community. If your friends don’t know you are struggling, they can’t help. Stress and anxiety need to be combated and strategically overcome with communal vulnerability.

My Taylor community has recently been overwhelmed by physical illness and emotional exhaustion. It is evidence that we all commit our souls to the work. We are willing to sacrifice sleep, homework, and sanity to produce a beautiful work of art. We are all willing to go the extra mile, even at the expense of our health. It is so refreshing to work with people who are dedicated and motivated. Unfortunately, it often leads to fatigue and/or collapse. Artists love to expose themselves to the ugly in life, and we suffer from it. However, in the midst of the angst and exhaustion, there is such assurance that the end result will be a glorious production, a production that will reveal an unknown and needed truth. That is why I have bags under my eyes. That is why I can’t always form sentences or remember words. That is why most of us are addicted to coffee. The artist is an untamed, resolute individual who serves the audience in magical ways. I am weak with my fellow artist and I will thrive in the process.