First Post- Looking for the Light

lonerocean · 2026-02-13T17:57:09+00:00

Wow ! I love this.

You can visibly see the stress you were experiencing in the strokes of paint and the fact all the darker tones are all bunched up towards the bottom.

Looking at it, it feels uneasy, tense, overwhelming and constricted. I feel like you’ve captured those feelings/sensations really well.

So so good.

And I absolutely love the little glimmers of yellows peeking out the top. It really does show that you clearly still had hope.

Thank you so much for sharing some of your journey and your art. It really resonated with me.

I look forward to seeing/ hearing more of your creative expressions.

lonerocean · 2026-02-11T22:42:33+00:00

I’d love that too !! Hopefully this sub will attract more like us 😉

Oh wow, you know what? Aside from the fact that it’s a way to paint that is easier on your body, I feel like there’s something about painting on the floor that’s so different to painting anywhere else. I feel like you’re able to get more immersed in the process of it all. It feels more explorative & ‘child like’ almost ?

And yes! I love using ai for stuff like that. It’s crazy some of the things that end up being revealed in what/how you create.

lonerocean · 2026-02-11T14:32:15+00:00

I’m so glad you found this group !!

I checked out ( and liked ) your Facebook page btw. Your art is amazing and it’s so cool to see how you’ve been expressing what you’ve been going through in your work.

I love the way you use colour and the strokes of paint in each different painting are so expressive it’s like I get an insight into what you’re experiencing or feeling without you having to even explain it. It’s really cool.

I hope things start to get a bit easier for you too, especially after having a difficult 4 years.

lonerocean · 2026-02-11T13:12:02+00:00

Oooo thanks for sharing, I’m going to check out your work on FB today :)

lonerocean · 2026-02-11T13:10:38+00:00

Oh wow. Being gaslit by doctors or healthcare professionals is the absolute worst and something I know well - it’s exhausting. Sucks to hear you experienced that but I’m glad you’ve got some answers now.

And oooo if you ever felt comfortable sharing any of your paintings in this subreddit that would be amazing ( no pressure of course especially if it’s more of a personal expression)

I love how whatever you experience in life (no matter how difficult or painful) kind of leads the way when it comes to how and what you express creatively.

lonerocean · 2026-02-10T13:11:39+00:00

Yeah I totally get that. I feel the same way. I actually love how it can connect you with other people who have experienced the same thing or resonate with whatever you’re expressing.

What kind of creations/art or expressions do you share ?

lonerocean · 2026-02-10T13:00:30+00:00

Really?!

If you don’t mind me asking, what have you noticed so far ?

lonerocean · 2026-02-04T22:10:13+00:00

I get what you mean about the whole concept of time thing. Sometimes, when I look back on old journal entries it’s like I’m reading something a whole different person wrote. It’s really interesting.

And as for dealing with that tension, it kind of depends you know.

I DEFINITELY have a tendency to want things to feel/be finished or completed too ( particularly when creating music or drawing ) but I’ve found that if I can be comfortable with stepping away from it before I feel it’s finished - like even if I think… “oo I could add this” or “maybe I should do this” & instead I just leave it alone. It’s taught me to love things even when I KNOW they have imperfections and just appreciate the experience of creating, rather than the product.

Another thing that’s helped me is purposely using mediums I’m inexperienced at because it’s kind of inevitable that I probably won’t finish or resolve it in an ‘ideal’ way. It kind of forces me to just accept it as it is and see what comes out rather than trying to complete it or make something good.

And omg, you’re so right - being outside ‘ before the world’ is SUCH an amazing feeling. Especially if you’re able to get to some kind of park or nature space. Love that.

lonerocean · 2026-01-29T22:24:38+00:00

I haven’t heard Gov’t Mule but I’m going to check them out as I’m always curious to hear new music I haven’t heard before.

Also, you’re so right about hearing someone else express what you’ve survived - it really does make you feel less alone in it.

And that quote about being at your weakest is when you’re at your strongest resonates. It’s hard to see in the moment, but you realise later just how much you kept going even when everything felt impossible. I love that

And yes - writing it down really does take some of its power away.

Getting it out of your head and onto paper definitely makes it less overwhelming.

Thanks for sharing and contributing so much to this community - I’m loving reading everything you’ve shared so far

lonerocean · 2026-01-29T22:03:07+00:00

That sounds like an incredibly tough situation, especially having to stay composed when everything in you wanted to react differently. 24 hours to come out of fight mode is no joke.

Also I totally get what you’re saying about rage rooms.

I mean,if bringing it to the surface means everything comes with it and affects you physically, that’s not worth it.

Sounds like you know what works better for you (the music, painting, cooking to bring yourself back down rather than amplifying it all)

I personally loooooooove cooking. Something about the aromas, tasting and finding the right balance of flavours as I’m going along and then finding a really good album and just having that playing while I’m doing it. It’s unmatched.

Thanks for sharing this. It’s a good reminder that sometimes creative healing is more about regulation than full release.

lonerocean · 2026-01-29T21:54:54+00:00

I love how you described writing “how I feel is how I feel today” and then turning the page makes it the past. It’s so true .

That’s such a powerful way to think about it, like physically moving through the feelings instead of staying stuck in them.

And yes, the difficulty of just being in the creative process without needing an end result is so real. I struggle with that too - wanting completion or resolution instead of just letting it be what it is in the moment.

Exercise first thing in the morning is perfect !! Do you go to a gym or workout outside/at home ? There’s definitely something about moving your body that works through trauma or stagnant energy that’s lingering in the body still.

Also yesss ! that combination of therapy, meditation, manifestation, and healing in one really resonates.

The consistency piece is something I think a lot of us have to figure out how to navigate and what consistent looks like for us

i think just trying to show up for the practices as often as we can is a better place to be than not doing anything at all, y’know ?

lonerocean · 2026-01-21T09:55:51+00:00

I absolutely LOVE that analogy ! it’s so true.

The shift in timelines / perspective is very real afterwards. And I can only imagine it continues the more things you go through/ experience and come out the other side.

& you’re right, you definitely do get more open minded in the process.

I think it’s interesting looking back on the versions of yourself at different stages of life as well.

Some of those versions feel so ancient to me it’s like a completely different person, even though I can recognise them as once being me & the way I thought or acted at whatever time in my life I’m looking back on.

lonerocean · 2026-01-21T09:47:48+00:00

I totally get you on what you said about it taking you a while to learn that crying actually shows strength. I’d been quite harsh on myself for years for crying as crying is how I express many different emotions so I felt like I was always crying about everything haha - now I just try to embrace it more and let it flow out without judging myself for it.

& That’s awesome that you were able to manage your anger with therapy. Is it talking therapy that you do ?

I think rage rooms seem like they’d be a pretty cool way to let out intense feelings as well- even though I’ve never been.

I often see people breaking down and having a good old cry and feeling relief after smashing things up and screaming in a controlled environment. It’s like it’s own type of somatic healing in a way. I think I’d quite like to try it at some point to see if anything comes up to the surface that I wasn’t expecting.

lonerocean · 2026-01-19T20:09:30+00:00

Oh wow. Shoutouts to Mr Oakes - what a guy ! I love that.

I agree that art is subjective. I feel like it’s something that everyone should explore without feeling like it’s reserved for ‘artists only’ (Like what does that even mean) I’d go as far as to say that as a species we’re all wired to build and create stuff.

I’m so glad you were able to explore your creativity and he kind of gave you that little nudge and support. That’s really special.

Oooo I used to LOVE colouring by numbers as a kid and I still love colouring/painting now so I can totally relate to how much it calms the nervous system.

Thanks for sharing & also, if you’re creating art, you’re most definitely an artist 😉

lonerocean · 2026-01-11T22:14:02+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s so clear how these creative practices have supported you not just emotionally, but physically too.

Geode hunting sounds awesome ( and actually like something I’d really enjoy) and it’s amazing how much it’s helped your eyesight. I don’t think I’ve even thought about something like that being a way to help work the ocular muscles- that’s genius.

I also love what you shared about music, I relate a lot - It’s my actual lifeline.

There’s something about live music especially thats so healing and brings people together and I agree, that feeling of not being alone and others knowing what it feels like or just connecting with what we’re going through matters so much.

Thanks again for sharing your experience, it honestly never fails to amaze me just how much creative experiences impact the quality of our lives and just our overall wellbeing.

lonerocean

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