Comic Journaling for Mental Health
Did you know that making comics can make you feel better?
COMIC JOURNALING
Did you know that making comics can make you feel better?
Comic journaling or daily comics are usually made for others to read. Even more so, they are usually made by “artists”. But what if I told you that you don’t need to be an artist to make funny comics that can help your mental health? What if you just take the stressor that is making you sad and anxious and make fun of it? Bad drawing skills are welcome and no one even has to see it!
Disclaimer: Keep in mind that I am not a mental health professional, so please seek a professional therapist if you are feeling unwell.
Why Journaling?
A while ago I came across the idea of journaling for mental health (you can read about it in this post from the University of Rochester, or this story by Aunty Sal, and this story by Karen Nimmo). Although there are many different types of journals you can make, including the one I am writing about, most therapists or self-help authors will advise you to track down your thoughts with the aim of identifying patterns of negative thoughts, which you can then address in therapy.
My Story
When I heard about journaling I wanted to give it a try, but writing down any negative thoughts I had felt like giving them too much importance. Surely these thoughts about self-doubt and fear don’t deserve to be written down! Instead, I took a different approach: What if I made fun of them? And that’s what I did.
I bought a journal with pre-made squares (combating that blank page fear!). Without any hope to make nice drawings, I just drew myself as a stick woman and some anxieties and fears flying around me, both drawn and written in text. And then I started making fun of them. In the beginning my humor was a bit crude, but as I had more and more ideas, my comics and their humor developed their own style. One of my favorite and surprisingly introspective comics is this one in two parts:
Comic Journaling in Steps
So, if you are at all interested in giving this method a go, these would be the steps to follow:
The mindful person that you are, recognize the negative thought or the anxiety that is troubling you. This could be something as simple as being unable to make a decision on what to eat or something more serious, like being unemployed.
Find a contradiction in this negative thought. There is always one, unless you are going through a really serious problem, in which case you might skip the comedic aspect of this exercise. An example of a contradiction is if you already know the steps that will take you to the solution of your problem, but you are not taking any action (because you are afraid or unmotivated to do it). You might be afraid to start applying for jobs and doing all the research around it (=solution), but you actually do want a job.
Draw this contradiction with stick (wo)men or any other means! You can draw yourself acting in this contradictory way or you can give a physical representation to your anxiety. For example, a circle with the word “problem” on it is now representing your problem (see an example with “you are fat” below). Either way, it will feel good to see them battling on paper instead of tormenting your head.
Laugh at your comic.
Keep the comic for yourself or decide to show it to a few close friends.
Good Side Effects
Now, I don’t make these comics every day, but every time I recognize a conflict between my negative thoughts and the objective voice of reason, I draw it. There is something utterly satisfying about seeing these thoughts drawn and laughed at. It feels like they have been defeated by the power of humor and laughter.
Another important aspect of this exercise is that it makes you feel productive and creative. You draw it and write it and the comic is there: your own creation looking at you. I feel we don’t do enough of such creations these days anymore.
I hope this story has intrigued you to try to make fun of your inner contradictions. And you never know if it will unleash an artist within you!
Check out my other posts on comic journaling:
A Comic Journaling Exercise to Kickstart Your Day
Try this simple journaling technique for mental healthforge.medium.com
How to Reason With Your Emotions Through Comic Journaling
Beat procrastination and other struggles through humor and visualizationmedium.com
Try This Creative Exercise to Pick Yourself up From Low Mood
Expressing and sharing your struggle gives it meaning and shows you that your experience can have an impact on the…medium.com