Overcoming Devastation Through Creativity
Today I’m struggling a bit. So much has happened over the last few years and I feel like today it has caught up with me. I’ve kept so much of it inside and it’s finally spilling out. So, I figured I’d finally share the story.
At the beginning of 2020 life was going great; I was finally leaving my retail management job, starting a brand-new relationship after seven blissful years of being single and moving down to Oregon to live with my new boyfriend. I made the move just as Covid hit. We all know the struggles of Covid were overwhelming and devasting to so many people. Combine that with the presidential struggles and the horrid state of our society and the stress was real.
Because I now live way outside of town, Covid wasn’t as awful for me as it was for others and life continued on with some semi-balance of normalcy. After twelve years of marriage, a divorce then seven years of being happily single, being in my new relationship was a bit of a struggle but we kept going.
Then, just as I’d started to get semi-comfortable, September changed our lives forever.
There was a frantic knock at our door around mid-night. Telling us a huge fire was heading our way and we had to evacuate. To say I was stressed was an understatement. I’ve never been in an emergency situation before; it didn’t help that my boyfriend was taking the situation less than serious and causing me far more stress than I could deal with in that moment.
They always say you find out exactly what you’re made of when you’re tested. And that I know to be true. After my divorce I found out just how strong I was and that I could overcome anything and make it out the other side. This was just another hurtle, a much worse one but I could do it. After a needlessly drawn out and extremely stressful night of fighting we were safely in the car with our three cats and speeding away just as the fire started to caress the hill across from the property.
Luckily my aunt and uncle were able to put us (5 adults, four cats and a dog) up for a week while we waited to hear news from home. Unfortunately, when the news finally came it wasn’t good. In a few hours my boyfriend had lost all 12 buildings on the property, including our homes. The news was devasting. Even more so to my boyfriend whose family has own and lived on the property for almost 80 years.
A huge rift formed between my boyfriend and I as we struggled to come to terms with the loss. Not only did we lose the house and all of our belongings we lost each other along the way.
We were able to rent a home not far from our property and started recovering from the damage. We spent months cleaning up the property and preparing to rebuild. As I struggled to maintain my relationship, myself and the hold I had on my life I threw myself into my crafting. Once again it became my lifeline in a time of serious pain and struggle. I poured myself and my life into it. It saved me.
Now two years later, I’m back to creating full time and once again working towards my creative dreams. I’d somehow let them fall by the wayside in the wake of life, as we often do. I’m happy to report that one of the three houses on the property has been rebuilt and that the other two are in the works. My boyfriend and I are still together, and we continue working on it every day.
Life throws so many ups and downs our way, and you never know what to expect. That’s one of the things that make life so special. On this anniversary month I’m reminded of just how precious life is and how much we often take it for granted.
I’m reminded to always do the things that I love and to pursue them with all of my heart and soul. Creativity is my life. It is the one constant that I can always count on to get me through anything. It helps me relieve stress, improves my mindsets, helps me to heal and lets me express all my feelings, no matter what they are.
For those of you who are struggling today, who are hurting or lost, I offer my deepest sympathy. But please remember that no matter how awful things may seem they will not last forever. Let creativity be your guide and your healer. I promise you will never regret it.
‘Til next time,
Misty