DIY has always been my therapy. Through each phase of life, DIY was something that I could depend on. Through my parents divorce, DIY came in the form of rearranging my Barbie furniture. During adolescence into my teenage years, DIY was rearranging my own bedroom furniture and painting my walls, sometimes in the middle of the night. My psychiatrist would now say that these things were coping mechanisms to keep the impulsivity at bay. Needless to say, the creativity, energy and drive I possessed got me through the bad times in life, and highlighted the good.
DIY is like a cozy sweater that makes you feel good when you put it on. It is like an old friend that calls you on the phone to catch up and make you smile. DIY is not just a hobby, it's a way for me to escape and clear my mind. Recently, I've been dealing with a lot of health issues pertaining to my stomach. After my visit to ER at the beginning of the month. I lost 13 pounds from not being able to eat due to the colitis infection. As my endoscopy and colonoscopy neared, triggering thoughts invaded my head constantly and were only quieted by the sound of a paintbrush. The hours of phone calls with insurance and doctors offices put my anxiety through the roof, but the time spent in the basement sanding away gave me a sense of peace. DIY is just as important to my daily life as any medicine I take.
DIY was my medicine when I was pregnant with Vienna, it was my friend who helped me cope post partum, and it is still who I turn to when I have extra energy that I can't get out. I can recall when I turned to DIY after my first relationship ended. I deleted my previous social media and began a new one that highlighted my thoughts and projects. It was called 'Little Things by Jacqueline,' which eventually turned into Aurora By Jacqueline as we stand today. I made small pieces of decor and sold them on my Etsy shop and I began refurbishing furniture for family, friends and clients. Not only was it a way to bring in income when I parted ways with the Department of Education, but it was the therapy I needed to bring me out of the depression I was in.
DIY is not for everyone. It doesn't even need to be described by painting, or building. DIY can be putting a frame on a wall, or baking your own bread. DIY can be making a friendship bracelet with beads or making cookies from scratch; changing your own oil or washing your car. DIY means "Do it yourself." Often times we hire others to do things for us because we either A. Can't, or B. Don't want to. I hope that you can find things in your life you are able to do yourself. Not only does it bring you the satisfaction of being self-sufficient, but it nurtures the creative child within you. I know that DIY looks different these days as I'm raising a 16 month old while my brain is on overdrive but I know it will always be there for me, just like I never left it.
xoxo- Jacqueline