AND

Not too long ago, one of my best friends in the whole world (HI JOURDAN!) sent me an Instagram story by a woman named Jen Gotch (follow her @jengotch - seriously, do it).  I watched it a couple of times, scratching my head.  I asked Jourdan, "Is this woman for real?!"  

You see, Jen is a quirky woman.  She wears a lot of pink, sparkly, girly things.  If you scroll through her Instagram feed, you'll see bright colors, hilarious throwback photos, animated facial expressions, and a woman who seems to have it all together.  Jen is the founder of Bando, a brand that designs accessories, clothing, stationery, etc.  On their website itself, they say they are "inspired by the power of friendship, the good old days, and all things fun."  Jen lives this brand, as you can clearly see on her social media accounts.

There's something else I love about Jen that you will prominently see featured on Instagram.  Jen has clinical depression.  She posts raw photos with even more raw descriptions of what she's feeling...and how she describes her depression feels so similar to how I experience mine.  She says that she shares not for sympathy, but because it makes her feel better and she wants to feel better.  (If you want to read more about her and see a sample of what she writes, PLEASE check out this brief article written about her this summer.)

I admire this woman for so many reasons.  But one of the things I want to focus on is how Jen is a strong woman AND enjoys life AND runs a huge, successful company AND has clinical depression AND has a great sense of humor AND, AND, AND.  See, Jen doesn't let her depression define her, but she doesn't ignore it either.  She is doing precisely what I want to do with my own life: document life - the good, the bad, the ugly, the depressed, the victories, etc.

By sharing about her life (which includes, but is not defined by, depression), Jen is raising awareness to the fact that a person can have mental illness AND still be a kickass woman.  How cool (and inspiring!) is that?!

I've had many people in my life concerned about whether I should be sharing about my mental illness in such a public way, worrying that people will think I'm unable to do my job or that they'll think I'm a non-functioning person.  Here's what I say to that: I feel like I'm damned if I share, and I'm damned if I don't.  I know that I have felt such comfort reading and hearing stories about people like Jen, who know what it's like to live with mental illness but also have fulfilling, successful lives.  I also know that I have been overwhelmed with love and support from so many of the amazing people in my life who have responded positively to my own story.

So here I am, saying: I am depressed AND anxious AND a feminist AND a wonderful friend AND a capable school counselor AND a supportive sister/daughter AND a musician AND an artist AND a dog-lover AND a Harry Potter fanatic AND an introvert AND a wannabe traveler AND a person who is just trying to live her life with purpose and intention.