Obsession, Possession, Shame & Writing Memoir
“I wrote those [short] stories because I was possessed by them and wanted to exorcise them from my system… Isn’t creative writing all about being possessed, seized, obsessed?” ‘The Writer Laid Bare,’ Lee Kofman I worry I’m losing obsession with a part of my story I’ve imagined would thread throughout my memoir. I was possessed […]
Meeting Our Authentic Voice
My Voice Hello. My name is Jasmine. I first went mad in Africa in 2004. Since then, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gone mad. My madness got so bad it culminated in catatonia; I couldn’t move or speak. But I see madness as a state of mind, and minds can, and do, […]
The Beginning of the End of Involuntary Treatment
In this moment, I end involuntary treatment. I’m no longer compelled to treat a mental illness I never believed in anyway. But I sought healing, nonetheless. For now, I stop my compulsion to seek personal transformation. It’s the beginning of the end of involuntary treatment of myself, at my own hands. No more subjecting myself […]
Being Present
In this moment, I’m in a good space. I feel peaceful, relaxed, and content. I listen to my body. I notice I’m thirsty, so I drink a glass of water. The water replaces my habitual one o’clock coffee. I drink without bashing myself for being a caffeine addict. In truth, there are thoughts that I’m […]
Vulnerability Hangovers Need Not Stop Us from Speaking Up
When did you last experience a vulnerability hangover for speaking up about something? You know, that hot feeling of shame coursing through your head, chest and gut after you were yourself with someone about an important and personal issue that’s difficult to say. I’ve had a vulnerability hangover for two weeks. That’s a long time! […]
On Bohm’s Creativity and Wholeness
As I engage in my creative practice as an emerging artist and as someone who knows madness, I ask myself: What drives me? What is creativity all about? A book on my shelf promises insight. Titled On Creativity, author David Bohm is the late science theorist and avid lover of the arts. By page three […]