- Hey everybody.
This is Roberto Blake of RobertoBlake.com.
Helping you create
something awesome today.
So today, I wanna talk about
something very serious.
Something that I believe that is holding
the far majority of you back
from creating awesome things,
from sharing them with the world,
from living a purposeful
life that is aligned
to your passion and
the thing that you care
the most about is the simple fact
that a lot of you are suffering
from depression, anxiety.
You feel like you can't win,
and everyday is a constant battle for you.
And I know that that's true because I talk
to a lot of creatives every single day.
And for me, personally,
that was a real struggle
that I had in my creative
career for a very long time.
And something we do not talk enough
about in the creative services industry
for a lot of reasons.
It's a downer.
A lot of people don't feel
qualified to talk about
because they don't have
a psychology degree.
But the thing is, people who've survived
and who've lived with and
lived through their depression
have a lot that they can offer
in terms of what worked for them.
Maybe someone's capable
of reverse engineering
that for themselves.
If we don't talk about it,
then people aren't served
by that conversation.
And they can't get the help
that they need one way or the other.
And a lot of them deal with depression.
And sometimes you feel like
the experiences that you have,
even though intellectually
you know better,
are completely unique or
that nobody can really understand you.
You don't feel like you
connect and that you relate
with other people nearly as well
when you're going through those things.
And again, I'm speaking
from personal experience.
I felt soul-crushingly
lonely for the longest time.
And there are times when
I still feel that way
as an entrepreneur despite any
successes that I've ever had.
The thing is, I still
sometimes very much feel
that there's nobody who knows exactly
what I'm going through and what it's like.
And then thing is, there isn't.
Nobody is in your mind.
But, there are people that are going
through very similar things to you
that can relate and can share experiences.
Can offer either help or
guidance or camaraderie.
Just knowing that you're
not truly alone really matters sometimes.
And again, because a lot of
us feel very self-conscious
because there haven't been a lot of places
where we feel that it's
appropriate or comfortable
to have this conversation
because it's something
that is not very
comfortable to talk about.
To lay your greatest fears
and what you're going through.
And the things that
you're telling yourself
that probably aren't very positive.
To lay all of that there
and to be vulnerable
is very difficult and very challenging.
And the thing is, not everybody
is going to receive it well
or understand or take it the right way.
Or is going to offer you anything from it.
And some of the distant
people feel awkward.
And they don't feel like that they
have anything constructive
that they can say.
So, they just stare at you with
a blank face and give you a platitude.
You know, they give you like they've got
that blank face on they're like,
oh they're thinking for
stumbling for something to say
that doesn't sound awkward or silly.
But you know what?
The best thing you can
do to comfort people
is to let them know
that you appreciate them
and how you feel about
them and what you feel
when you're around them and
that you believe in them.
And what they're doing, or you
respect what they're doing.
Or you appreciate what they've
done for you in the past.
I think that just acknowledging people.
Just being able to be good humans beings
and say, "Thank you,"
sometimes goes a long way.
I know that if I have felt like people
around me sometimes weren't
taking me for granted
or had acknowledged something that I did.
Or given me a simple, "Thank you."
Or some kind of consideration.
You know, I'm not saying they would've
had to pander to me in any way.
I'm just saying that those things
at the worst moments in my life
would've made a real difference.
And also, eliminating
people from your life
that do nothing but give you crap.
Who always dump on you.
That matters too.
And sometimes you can't get away from it,
because sometimes, it's the work place,
or it's your school mates, or sometimes
for some people, it's their family.
And those situations are
rough, but the thing is,
you have to put yourself
in a position to win.
And you have to find ways
to make it practical.
To distance yourself from those people.
To cut them out of your life.
I think one of the best
things I've ever done
for my health, for my
creativity, for my career,
was to cut out the most negative
and toxic people from my life.
And I think that that really mattered.
This conversation is
something that I think we need
to have more of in the creative community.
I've talked about it a few times
here before on the channel.
But, the reason that I bring it up today
as a video that I'm doing
for graphic design Mondays
is because I know personally that a lot
of graphic designers deal with depression
and struggle with severe
anxiety and don't do well
under a tremendous amount
of stress and pressure.
I know that this industry,
especially if you work
in house or at an agency can breed
a lot of negative thought processes,
a lot of negative mental health,
and I've experienced that first hand.
I know people who are still
going through it to this day.
And I think that it's something we need
to acknowledge as a community,
and as a profession.
And I think it's something we
need to be very vocal about.
And that we need to open up more about.
And that we really need to address it.
Because I think that mental health
and mental stability is
not talked about enough.
I think that a lot of
people take it for granted.
And I think that ultimately, a
lot of things are preventable
if we are actually open about
it, and if we receive it well.
And if we just learn
to treat people better,
and with more respect
and with more compassion.
'Cause you just don't know
what somebody's going through.
You don't know if the one thing you said
is the last thing they heard
before they did something
that can't be undone,
one way or the other.
And you know as scary as that
the thought of this sounds,
it's a responsibility that all
of shouldn't take nearly as lightly.
And we should take real responsibility
for our actions and we
put out into the world.
That's why I keep telling you guys
to create something awesome.
It's not just about
creating your best work.
It's about creating the best experiences
in life for yourself and
for other human beings.
I constantly reiterate that.
And that's the reason is
because you just don't know
what kind of day somebody's having.
But if you can create a
great experience for them,
if you can be the person that
out of 10 people, you were the one.
Like out of nine people,
you were that one out of 10
that really made them
feel better about things.
You just don't know what
impact that would have.
You just can't know.
And so with that in mind, I
would just encourage you all
to be more mindful, to be more awesome.
And to be more kind and considerate.
And if you're somebody who's
struggling with depression.
You're struggling with anxiety.
You're just having a rough time with it.
I would encourage you to find people
that make you feel comfortable
and make you feel safe.
And to open up to them about it.
And to talk with them.
Not all of you can afford a
mental health care professional.
Not all of you are willing
to open yourself up
to the scrutiny and stigma of that.
And I get it.
So the best thing I could tell you
is to find people whom you share
a bond with and try
and communicate to them
how you're feeling and
what you're going through.
Not so much looking for
answers or a solution,
but looking to just be
able to have yourself
in a position where you're
allowed that vulnerability
because that makes a real difference,
if you can unburden yourself.
So I really think that that matters.
And I would encourage you guys to do that.
If you don't feel like you have that
in real life with people
you can put hands on,
I would encourage you to
find online communities
and safe havens where
there are other people
going through what you are.
Or to start some kind of support group.
That could be a real
thing that you could do.
And you know what?
You can feel free to discuss
it here in the comments.
If you are a designer or a
creative or a photographer
or anybody that's going through
severe depression, anxiety.
You feel you're being bullied
or put down on or dumped on.
And you just need a little bit
of either to be able to talk
about it, share your story,
or you'd like some advice,
go ahead and leave it
in the comments section.
I'm gonna be heavily
moderating the comments.
I usually do.
But this time, this is
something so serious
that I have to moderate it very heavily.
And we're gonna try and keep
the conversation constructive there.
So guys, I know this wasn't
a lighthearted video.
I know this wasn't a how-to video,
but I still think this was
an important conversation for us to have.
And it's something that I've been meaning
to revisit here on the
channel for a long time.
And you know, I may come
to this topic again.
I think that it matters.
And I think that a lot of
you can identify with this.
And I hope that the things
that I've shared with you help.
I mean, I've been through it.
I've been there.
And I know what it's like.
I really do.
I'm glad that I'm in a place
where I feel very grateful
for the life I've had, but that
is not always been the case.
There have been some very dark times.
I don't like revisiting them in my mind.
But I do why I think it
matters and why I think
that somebody would
benefit from understanding
that for whatever successes I have today,
or whatever happiness I have today,
it's something that I had to
work toward each and everyday.
And that any one day where I
didn't probably would've been
a day that would've kept
me from getting here.
So, as always you guys, I wanna
encourage you like I said.
Be kind to each other.
Be respectful to each other.
Learn to listen.
Learn to open up and be vulnerable.
Find people that you can talk to.
And of course, remember,
create something awesome today.
Take care.
