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[MaximumZero]

Watch some Bob Ross and be amazed.

[Mictlantecuhtli]

I wish I was an artist. I've been a mathematician all my life because the arts never came to me. It makes me sad to see Bob Ross when I can't draw worth a damn; he's just incredible. I can write rather well though, but haven't needed to in recent years. I could get back to writing prose [or even articles like when I was really young, yay journalism]; because not keeping busy probably has a lot to do with my overthinking of silliness.

I've taken alot of [informal in the case of Judo] Judo and Muay Thai training, I should've learned Krav Maga from my father while he was around; he'd almost always be able to beat my ass if I sparred him even by the time he was older. Israel trained him well. There's actually one of those extremely silly MMA training gyms around the corner from me, where 19 year old people who exclusively wear Tapout gear train most of the time. I've almost wanted to join because I highly doubt they've gotten their face planted into the ground by a 40-something before. I've tried to keep it a priority to get in better shape as I get older, not the opposite. Sure does sound fun in hindsight, better then working out atleast.

Excuse me if I came out a bit harsh, but I deemed it necessary.

No, it's fine. I'd yell at myself for being the way I am now if I'd see myself in the past; but I truely do not think or believe I am depressed. I'm definitely not going to a 20-something therapist to explain my views on the world and my life either way. I've tried therapy before and it sure didn't do much for me considering I did it against my own will and was forced to confront lies about sexual abuse [against me] in person to someone who is supposed to be on your side, trying to tell me that I'm wrong.

I've got nothing of much value to say to a therapist now anyways. Just gushing over my girl and worrying about the state of the world.

[nenjin]

*shrug* I just compare the figs I painted 15 years ago, compared to the ones I paint now. The difference is night and say, both in terms of my skill and how much I actually cared about what I was doing. Note, I'm not saying I'm a "painter" painter. I'm a figurine painter. Which is leagues easier than painting on a blank canvas.

Art is nice because it's one of those things you can do in obscurity. It's one of those things you can practice and you don't require other people's input to improve (which I feel like, with writing, outside feedback is kind of necessary to improve.)

[MaximumZero]

There's actually one of those extremely silly MMA training gyms around the corner from me, where 19 year old people who exclusively wear Tapout gear train most of the time. I've almost wanted to join because I highly doubt they've gotten their face planted into the ground by a 40-something before. I've tried to keep it a priority to get in better shape as I get older, not the opposite. Sure does sound fun in hindsight, better then working out atleast.

Hell yes, doooo eeeeeet! There's always that one guy in those gyms who can teach you a ridiculous amount of stuff (especially when it comes to Muay Thai,) and it's always fun to be mis-underestimated.

[King DZA]

Every day, strive to make the world a better place by the time you go to sleep than it was when you first woke up. No matter how small or insignificant that betterment seems, if you can accomplish that, you've had a successful day.

Do this everyday, and you can live knowing that your existence contributed to the world being a better place by the time you die than it was when you were first born.

I find that taking action helps me to give less of a fuck about all the stupid things in this world that piss me off. And the above usually tends to be a good place to start.

[jester]

Im a fan of small acts of defiance against a world that often shits me as a way to keep the beast within sated, Ive worked in some pretty horrible places doing pointless work to pay to live in this society that I often hate, so I run private guerrilla campaigns against my employers, simple stuff like dropping cig butts into the urinals at work on a regular basis.  After 6 months of that management was going totally batshit trying to stop the phantoms who were smoking in the dunnies.  Other things I have done are graffiti with stuff like 'please leave a mark here if your job is being made more difficult and unpleasant by incompetent management' then leave a pen nearby, 3 days later 17 x's marked down next to it.  Print out long, poorly spelled manifestos on stuff that is ticking you off, not the big stuff but the little stuff, like ringtones or the lack of decent lettuce these days and leave them on park benches, public transport, at work etc.  Its probably pointless and petty, but it keeps the juices flowing and the mind occupied.

  A more extreme thing I have been known to engage in is finding a busy corner in a city, dropping down a box, standing on it and having a good rant about the things that are irritating you and why.  Dont swear or be nasty but let the beast off the chain for a bit and just rant.  You will never see any of the people who hear you again, sometimes you draw a crowd, often you can rant for 30 mins and people will just keep walking.  I find the whole thing strangely therapeutic .

  That and gardening, growing your own food is good for the soul.

[kaijyuu]

I dearly hope that's a soap box. If not, draw the word "soap" on it.

[jester]

I dearly hope that's a soap box. If not, draw the word "soap" on it.

Did it wearing a soap box on my head once, turns out, nothing that soap comes in these days is sturdy enough to support an orator.  Personally I call conspiracy and made that a major topic of that rant.  People tossed money at me for that one.

Edit: I also just spent 20 minutes on google looking for this secret art underground of people who spend hours painting figs, wondering at the mad genius of someone who would devote their artistic endeavors to painting one specific type of fruit, then my brain engaged.

[Siquo]

Wow, you really live up to your nickname. 

[Shook]

I wish I was an artist. I've been a mathematician all my life because the arts never came to me.

Ho boy, do i feel you on that one, i've been in the almost exact same position (with the minor deviation being that i'm not good enough at math to be a mathematician either). I'm probably one of the least artistically talented people on the planet, anyone who has seen my hopeless doodling pre-pixel art would know that (even the almost-trademark silly face eluded me completely). Essentially, i drew about as well as you'd expect an average 8-year old to do until i was what, 18-19 years old? I'm 20 now, and it's only now that i'm beginning to be able to draw things with a modicum of resemblance, and even then my pencil things are outright horrible. But i digress, my point is that if you really want to, don't give up. I originally didn't even want to, but following a eureka moment after approximately a year of making horrible sprites for Cortex Command, i suddenly realized that spriting was pretty cool. If you have the drive to begin with, you could learn it WAY faster than i did.

But as you say, writing can also be fun. Maybe get into writing a longer story (mine's in excess of 100 pages by now aaa), i've found that it's possible to sink quite a few hours into that, and it keeps me busy during sleepless hours. Writing on the run with no fixed storyboard can also be challenging, since ones goal would be to keep the story coherent and intriguing.

I'm not quite sure of why i'm writing this, but i know of the overthinking issue. Here's hoping this can help you keep it in check.

[GlyphGryph]

Art isn't really difficult. Anyone can do it. It just takes and a willingness to cast a critical eye at your own work.

Lots of time, mind you, if you want to do it well, but unless you lack fine motor control you can do art.

Certain types of art can be hellishly difficult, of course, but you don't have to DO those if you don't want to.

Simpler forms like spriting and painting figs are still pretty enjoyable.

[MaximumZero]

You could always do art Jackson Pollock style. I'm sure that would be very therapeutic.