Lettering for Mental Health

It’s that time of year again...

Time to go back to school.

I gotta admit it, by the time back-to-school rolls back around, I’m just about ready to see my school kids again. But, this year, with the mass shootings and now a new, global health emergency, I was freaking out about going back…just a little bit.

Okay…When I found a new pimple on my neck last week, I frantically tried to convince my husband I needed to be seen in the emergency room for monkey pox.

But, other than that, it was just a little bit. 🤷🏾‍♀️

I was chatting about it, amongst other things, with one of my artist friends, recently.

As long as it was still summertime, I could hold off on thinking about it very much. But, now, with only a few days left to go, I’m trying to gather myself and the world isn’t making it the easiest thing to do.

But, I have been squirreling away some items to make the transition easier.

If you’re a pointed pen aficionado, you may recognize the Moblique nib holders in the photo there above.

Moblique nib holders are made by Luis Creations. They have a lot of convenient qualities like being lightweight, convertible (straight and oblique holder in one), and you can mix and match their colors. But, the feature I found most intriguing (and useful) is that they have a compartment to safely transport nibs in the body of the shaft.

It’s pretty genius! And cost-effective too.

I plan to use them to soothe my nerves on my break or during longer meetings in between the break-neck pace of the school day.

I also started a long-term project.

Not only will it jumpstart my portfolio-building process. But, it will give me something to focus on should the 2022-2023 school year have some surprises up its sleeve.

Beyond that, I love that I can go back to school knowing I was heard.

It’s a mixed bag for teachers anymore with parents out to have their jobs and a culture that resists allowing time for adequate rest. Believe me, teachers aren’t getting away with anything. There are real human beings behind the profession with real feelings, fears, families of their own, and everything else. It’s good to have sounding boards every now and again to validate the experience many make light of.

That artist friend I was talking about loves photographing beautiful scenery where she lives. She often photographs sunsets. I told her my husband used to do that before the pandemic, when we were just dating…While I was trying to photograph families, he was stopping every so often to notice and photograph the clouds.

I didn’t understand it then. But, these days, it makes so much more sense. Sometimes, your mental health depends on taking your eyes off of everything around you and resting them on something (and, for some, even Someone) higher than yourself.

My friend loaned me the use of two of her photos to letter on if I needed to…and, immediately, I knew exactly what I wanted to letter.

Here I am learning the first lessons of the school year before the bell even rings! ❤️