So I guess my “emotional person’s guide” is a series now. Perhaps you’re emotional like me (do you cry no matter how many times you’ve seen Big Hero 6? Is your art heavily influenced by your emotional state? Do animal rescue videos make you uncontrollably tearful from happiness?) Or maybe you don’t experience extreme emotional highs and lows. No matter who you are, I hope this series will become something you can relate to and look forward to reading!
Please note: this post is on accepting the sadness that comes with life and finding empowerment in it. However, if you feel you are experiencing hypophrenia or depression, please open up to your loved ones and seek professional help if needed.
Sadness can feel like a dementor sucking out your soul. Everything is dark and bleak, and you feel like you’ll never be happy again.
After an extremely low point in my life, I was terrified of sadness. Every time I had a bad day or something unpleasant happened, I was scared that it was the start of another episode. That fear lead me to become closed off. I turned down so many chances to try new things and make meaningful connections. When I learned to be okay with the fact that sadness is needed to live a fulfilling life, I became less afraid of it.
Feeling sad isn’t always a bad thing in first place. When we’re feeling low, we’re more vulnerable. And that could help us be more open minded and perceptive. Sadness can be a window of time for us to reflect and grow. Our walls are down and we’re able to feel everything to the core.
When we’re happy, we’re prone to thinking “that thing that happened wasn’t my fault at all. Nobody is perfect, so I’m fine just the way I am.”
However, when we’re sad, we’re more likely to think “I could do this better next time. I feel like I made a mistake and I want to correct it. Was I really trying to be the best version of me? Or was I just comfortable?”
While having a late night conversation with a friend, I said “they keep saying that I’ll bounce back up, but how many more times can I fall before I shatter?” He replied with “they’re not completely right, but they’re not wrong either. What they aren’t considering is that it will take effort to get back up.”
When you’re feeling sad, it’s hard to find motivation to do anything. But you’re still the one in control of your life. Don’t rush yourself to be happy and productive again. Don’t stress over what you can’t control. But know that whether or not things will get better is up to you. You have to consciously make the choice to learn from the experience and become stronger for it. And you have to follow through that choice with your actions.
If you have any suggestions for my next “emotional person’s” post, I’d be happy to hear!
Hugs and kisses,
~Jin
You can also find me on my personal blog
Life Outside of Design Studio 
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