PORTRAIT OF A MISUNDERSTOOD ARTIST

Dear Jellybean,

I am 16 and it’s my Junior year in High school. My school is pretty small, and I have a few friends there, but they don’t quite understand what I am feeling right now; I guess what I am feeling is: Depression. The only thing the keeps me going currently is drawing to my heart’s desire. I forgot to mention that I am the Artist of the school. Ever since I changed periods into my Art class, many individuals have been giving me a hard time just because I have a talent for drawing. They would make fun of me how I never learned to smile, and when I look their way, they see it as a glare; I suppose I can unintentionally glare at people. I’ve tried many a time to ignore them all, but to no avail. I could say that I care a little of what they think, but only because they are interrupting my favorite class of the day. Help if you can, thanks for listening.
-Grey

Dear Grey,

Drawing beats depression for you? Then draw away, young artist! Years from now, those scoffers will be asking, "Do you want fries with that?" while you hang out with sculptors, musicians and painters at gallery openings, nibbling on delicious hors d'oeuvres.

What I'm saying is, ignore the bozos who give you a hard time. They're just jealous of your talent. It would be foolish to stop doing something that gives you pleasure (and keeps you from feeling pain), just because some chuckleheads make comments about it.

The lot of the artist is to carve her own path. Carve yours with a passion and try to shut out the teasers. If they are really making it hard for you to concentrate, talk to your teacher, or move to seat at the front of the class where people are less likely to make trouble.

Finally, art is a fabulous distraction, but if you're really suffering from depression, it's not a permanent cure. Seek out a counselor or therapist who can discuss your issues, get to the heart of any negative emotions, and possibly prescribe medication, if needed. If you need to talk to someone confidentially, or right away, call one of the free teen hotlines - the experts at these places can talk to you one-on-one, they don't tell your parents, and the numbers don't show up on the phone bill. Find hotline phone numbers on this page of Myjellybean.com.