When I was coming out of depression, I made one random video. It wasn't funny or anything, but just the idea that people I didn't know were watching it made me feel less alone than I'd felt in a long time.
Interpretation
Creating content can foster a sense of connection and reduce feelings of isolation during tough times.
In this quote, Lilly Singh reflects on her experience of overcoming depression through the act of creating a video. Despite the video not being particularly entertaining, the act of sharing it with an audience gave her a sense of community and connectedness, highlighting the importance of reaching out and sharing one's experiences as a way to combat loneliness and emotional struggles.
In practice
This quote would be great to share in a mental health awareness event to show the importance of connection through creativity.
I was the first South Asian female to do comedy videos on YouTube. But at the same time, all races face their barriers, and I've learned through YouTube, if it's not race, it will be sexism, if it's not sexism, it will be homophobia. It will always be something, and all voices should be heard.
One of the manifestations of depression for me is that I lose my will. And I thereby lose my ability to focus. I don't think I'll ever have the day-to-day consistency in my performance that something like This American Life has. If I'm not depressed and I'm on and I can focus and I can think through something hard and without interruption and without existential emptiness that comes from depression, that gives me - not mania. But I exalt. I exalt in not being depressed.
Years of depression have robbed me of that—well, that give, that elasticity that everyone else calls perspective.
One of my worries about America is the epidemic of depression we've been in. One of the possibilities about that is that the 'I' gets bigger and bigger, and the 'we' gets smaller and smaller.
I wasn't creative when I was depressed. When my depression got treated, I was creative again.
Many politicians, celebrities, businessmen and women, and community leaders now are open about their struggles with mental illnesses, something almost unheard of when I began. Together, we are spreading the word that mental health affects all of us and deserves our support and attention.
One of things so bad about depression and bipolar disorder is that if you don't have prior awareness, you don't have any idea what hit you.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.