Marbles & Me
...in my life, I have dealt with various issues of anxiety. Though I've not yet been on anything for it, I have been in and out of counseling for Social Anxiety, OCD and more. To date, nothing severe but from time to time, it helps to see someone standing on neutral ground to talk with. In the past, some of the most obvious, yet profound insights have come from a session where something was pointed out to me. It is because of this that when I meet someone else who goes through similar periods in their lives, I feel like I can relate.
During those times that I'm not attending any sessions, I still try to apply various forms of self help technique to my daily life to augment my lifestyle. If I'm feeling anxious, I will work on breathing deep and going for short walks. If I'm down, I seek out distractions of a lighter fare to pick myself up. Drinking more water, stretching, wandering amongst other people...these things sound simple and almost ridiculous, but they help.
In the past few months, I've dialed down my reading considerably. I still have at least one book going at all times and I read something daily, but I've been tapering away from novels and non-fiction. In it's place, I've gone overboard a tad on comics. Sometimes a good superhero yarn allows me to escape into something fantastic. Other times, I will indulge on anything that can provide me with a few laughs. And every so often, I unearth something that I can relate to and use to examine.
Marbles came to me by accident. When I first saw it at Half Price Books, I had never even heard of it. Written by Ellen Forney, it is billed as Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me, suggesting that the content dealt with emotional issues and art. This is the basic construct of the book but in addition, she offers up her own dealings with learning of her bipolar disorder.
In the beginning, she's essentially a carefree artist/cartoonist living in Seattle. She draws, she flirts, she smokes pot and generally seems to be a happy-go-lucky woman just turning 30 years of age. It is then that she discovers that she has bipolar disorder. From there, Marbles becomes a chronicle of her journey through bitter highs and sinking lows. One page in particular has not a single word. Instead, it is a simple sequence of what looks like a bean on a flat surface. Then, an object pops out of one side. As it unfolds, it is a short tale of what getting out of bed and landing in the same position on the couch looks like when one is deep in depression. This page alone is simple, it is elegant and it is unforgettable.
With each chapter, she weaves research into a historical backlog of artists, writers and poets who all suffered from various mental disorders while simultaneously sharing her own personal journey. While her tale is harrowing and empathetic, the book never dwells in the depths. Rather, she uses her story to highlight the good that she was able to find and moreso, invites the reader to understand and relate to her. Marbles lets anyone who has ever had a down period or more know that they are not alone and that things can and will get better.
For me, it was a fairly quick read mostly because I did not want to put it down. Many comic stories that I read turn out to be good and enjoyable. A book like Marbles serves to strengthen and validate the medium as dynamic, bold and worthy of universal praise.
During those times that I'm not attending any sessions, I still try to apply various forms of self help technique to my daily life to augment my lifestyle. If I'm feeling anxious, I will work on breathing deep and going for short walks. If I'm down, I seek out distractions of a lighter fare to pick myself up. Drinking more water, stretching, wandering amongst other people...these things sound simple and almost ridiculous, but they help.
In the past few months, I've dialed down my reading considerably. I still have at least one book going at all times and I read something daily, but I've been tapering away from novels and non-fiction. In it's place, I've gone overboard a tad on comics. Sometimes a good superhero yarn allows me to escape into something fantastic. Other times, I will indulge on anything that can provide me with a few laughs. And every so often, I unearth something that I can relate to and use to examine.
In the beginning, she's essentially a carefree artist/cartoonist living in Seattle. She draws, she flirts, she smokes pot and generally seems to be a happy-go-lucky woman just turning 30 years of age. It is then that she discovers that she has bipolar disorder. From there, Marbles becomes a chronicle of her journey through bitter highs and sinking lows. One page in particular has not a single word. Instead, it is a simple sequence of what looks like a bean on a flat surface. Then, an object pops out of one side. As it unfolds, it is a short tale of what getting out of bed and landing in the same position on the couch looks like when one is deep in depression. This page alone is simple, it is elegant and it is unforgettable.
With each chapter, she weaves research into a historical backlog of artists, writers and poets who all suffered from various mental disorders while simultaneously sharing her own personal journey. While her tale is harrowing and empathetic, the book never dwells in the depths. Rather, she uses her story to highlight the good that she was able to find and moreso, invites the reader to understand and relate to her. Marbles lets anyone who has ever had a down period or more know that they are not alone and that things can and will get better.
For me, it was a fairly quick read mostly because I did not want to put it down. Many comic stories that I read turn out to be good and enjoyable. A book like Marbles serves to strengthen and validate the medium as dynamic, bold and worthy of universal praise.
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