Vent Art

Hey faeries!

In case you don't know what vent art is, vent art is when you have a negative emotion and let it all out in drawing. 

A little while ago I was feeling pretty torn up inside about stuff, so I decided to try drawing vent art. 

I starting drawing some things and hated it, so I erased a few starts before settling down on this.

Drawing what I felt inside helped me. It calmed me down a bit.

And it also helped to just talk to God about what was on my mind. Even though, it doesn't always feel like He's actually listening and caring; He is. I know that if even if all we have to say to God is ranting and raving about life's problems and the unfairness of it all, He still wants us to come talk to Him about it. David in the Bible vented quite a bit to God.

Here's a Psalm where David vented a little. It's Psalm 42 from the Voice Bible translation; which is my favorite translation.

1 My soul is dry and thirsts for You, True God,
    as a deer thirsts for water.
2 I long for the True God who lives.
    When can I stand before Him and feel His comfort?
3 Right now I’m overwhelmed by my sorrow and pain;
    I can’t stop feasting on my tears.
People crowd around me and say,
    “Where is your True God whom you claim will save?”

4 With a broken heart,
    I remember times before
When I was with Your people. Those were better days.
    I used to lead them happily into the True God’s house,
Singing with joy, shouting thanksgivings with abandon,
    joining the congregation in the celebration.
5 Why am I so overwrought?
    Why am I so disturbed?
Why can’t I just hope in God?
    Despite all my emotions, I will believe and praise the One
    who saves me and is my life.
6 My God, my soul is so traumatized;
    the only help is remembering You wherever I may be;
From the land of the Jordan to Hermon’s high place
    to Mount Mizar.
7 In the roar of Your waterfalls,
    ancient depths surge, calling out to the deep.
All Your waves break over me;
    am I drowning?
8 Yet in the light of day, the Eternal shows me His love.
    When night settles in and all is dark, He keeps me company—
    His soothing song, a prayerful melody to the True God of my life.

9 Even still, I will say to the True God, my rock and strength:
    “Why have You forgotten me?
Why must I live my life so depressed, crying endlessly
    while my enemies have the upper hand?”
10 My enemies taunt me.
    They shatter my soul the way a sword shatters a man’s bones.
They keep taunting all the day long,
    “Where is He, your True God?”

11 Why am I so overwrought,
    Why am I so disturbed?
Why can’t I just hope in God?
    Despite all my emotions, I will believe and praise the One
    who saves me, my God.

Where do you go when you're stressed?

One of My Fave Songs by Owl City

I have this thing where I find a song I love and I listen to it all the time. And Owl City is, like, one of my all time favorite bands, so it makes sense that one of his songs would be one I'd listen to lots. XD

Tidal Wave

Tidal Wave is the song I'll listen to over and over again. There's this one line in it where Owl City sings: "I forget the last time I felt brave, I just recall insecurity." 

That's sometimes the way I feel. I feel as if I don't do anything that's grand or big. Like, I'm a coward for not stepping out of my comfort zone very much. Because I feel as if I just don't know how.

I know that sounds really, really, negative and sad and depressing and every other synonym for unhappy. 

I'm not even sure what I'm trying to get across here. I just want to let all of you who are scared and worried that you are not alone. You are never alone. 

Even if you do something that seems really small that scares you, you're being brave. I don't care if it seems like everyone else was doing that small scary thing long before you. It's your life, not anyone else's. Don't get discouraged if you feel like you're not growing or changing. Change takes time. 

Keep resting in the love God has for you and you'll find that one day, when you need to stand up for something big, you'll have the strength to do it and be brave, be courageous. 

And do you know why you'll be able to do it? 

It's because for a long time you were learning how much your Heavenly Father loves you with an impossibly huge love, that it doesn't matter to you anymore what other people think. It doesn't matter if you fall or fail. Because you know that God's right there with you and He will help you get back up and encourage you and give you all the grace and mercy and love you'll ever need. 

- - -

Wow, I wasn't expecting to get all deep on you guys. XD I think I was figuring things out for myself, too, as I was typing that up there. 

So... *takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly* Yeah, that's what I wanted to tell you guys. :P The song, Tidal Wave, ends in a much happier note than when it started. It talks about courage is now coming over like a tidal wave. And how you don't need a telescope to see there's hope. 

Rest in God's love and you'll find the courage you need.