Being an artist?

I mean everyone asks me if I work, and when I say no they insult me.

Kay Redfield Jamison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Redfield_Jamison is a distinguished psychiatrist with bipolar disorder. I recommend her autobiography An Unquiet MInd and also Touched with Fire, in which she explores creative genius and madness in poets and other creative artists.

Speaking for myself, I'm generally creative, and most creative during mania. But I'm also dogged, and I'd have to say that's what carries me through. The problem with mild mania is the flood of ideas which, if you can't tame, will dissipate to nothing. With severe mania you can shoot for the moon but eventually you will come down to earth and it might not be pretty.

Robert Lowell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lowell was a fine mid-century American poet whose career was both facilitated and wrecked by bipolar.

Opera_diva4 wrote:I mean everyone asks me if I work, and when I say no they insult me.

Aah. Well at the end of the day, it's your choice on when you have a job & what sort of job it is..at the same time you can't really control whether you're hired or not. And so, I don't really see why it's right for them to insult you because of this. Don't kick yourself while you're down. ♥

-- Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:08 am --

halcatalyst41 wrote:Kay Redfield Jamison https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Redfield_Jamison is a distinguished psychiatrist with bipolar disorder. I recommend her autobiography An Unquiet MInd and also Touched with Fire, in which she explores creative genius and madness in poets and other creative artists.

Speaking for myself, I'm generally creative, and most creative during mania. But I'm also dogged, and I'd have to say that's what carries me through. The problem with mild mania is the flood of ideas which, if you can't tame, will dissipate to nothing. With severe mania you can shoot for the moon but eventually you will come down to earth and it might not be pretty.

Robert Lowell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lowell was a fine mid-century American poet whose career was both facilitated and wrecked by bipolar.

I think I'm usually creative during mania as well! Because when in depression, that's when I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to do whatever it is that I've wanted to do or achieve and all this other stuff, it's not fun DX But I think you can still be successful with or without the disorder! ^.^ You just have to find a way to work with it if that makes sense.. Although when it comes with consistency, that may be hard.. But yeah! What you've mentioned about the autobiography's and such seem really interesting! I'll definitely give it a read sometime

I know, like I don't ask that question to others because who knows, they may have gotten laid off or something else could happen. I replaced a voice teacher in a school and got hired just for less than a year for that reason. I can't predict who will hire me and why.

Opera_diva4 wrote:I know, like I don't ask that question to others because who knows, they may have gotten laid off or something else could happen. I replaced a voice teacher in a school and got hired just for less than a year for that reason. I can't predict who will hire me and why.

Wow, that must have been hard for the one who got laid off. My mom got laid off years ago when she used to work for this ultra sound thingy, it's in the medical field. I think they said something like 'we have nothing left for you to do' or something like that but honestly, I still got so mad when they did that to my mom. xD Currently she's schooling, trying to finish college (her classes are online, she doesn't go to a community college) and a stay at home mom and also struggling to find a job. I'm also finding it hard to find somewhere to work that won't dog me about experience because come on, this IS going to be my VERY FIRST job...It's like don't expect me to know all these things overnight. But what you said also brought up this thought in mind: If I were hired to a job (doesn't matter what it is) and then I later found out that I was basically a replacement because the boss fired someone because of their skin color, I'd 1. ask straight up to give the person their job back, if they do then that's great. If they don't then that's great too, I don't wanna work with a boss who's like that.. So then I'll just quit and find somewhere else to work

I hope you're doing better work wise! You'll find a way. Sometimes that way is hard to find, so give yourself time to find it.