NCU a creativity

[Guest guest]

Thanks for writing Jeanne/tooth fairy!

I'm a copywriter in an ad agency here in NY. Just graduated from the Miami Ad

School (portfolio school/concepting mainly), but I'm in my 30s. This is

really my second career. Yes, my creativity is in a slump right now because

of the meds, just like yours was for a while. And I'm not even taking the

real bombs yet. The worst part is the itching, though. I can't concetrate

when I have to come up with a headline, or even write the body copy which

generally comes to me easy... I just can't focus. Thank goodness I haven't

had any problems yet, nothing too challenging has come my way yet, so the

people at work haven't really noticed my zombie-state. Or so I think... Glad

to hear you're feeling better. A tooth, huh? Well, it's wonderful that you

discovered that and were able to solve part of your CU ordeal. So you're an

illustrator. I love illustration. Have an illustration campaign in my book.

Thanks again for writing and I hope you keep feeling well. a

[Guest guest]

Hi a!

I'm responding because you are in the " Art Business " . I am a commercial

artist (Illustrator) and besides all the confusing weirdness that goes with

CU - I have a lot of empathy for the negative effects it has on your work

and personality. Aside from trying to cope with the stress of 80+ hour work

weeks, CU demanded I quit and pay attention to my body. I had a very similar

experience not knowing what was causing what. Sudden " allergic "

reactions to

things that had never bothered me, foods. . . etc. My hands tingled so

badly I couldn't hold a brush/pencil. I had horrible fatigue - like the

flu without the fever.

I became hypersensitive to most of my materials, had to toss

out all my petroleum based products, gouache bothered me as did ox-gall!

I still

cannot work with egg tempera. And forget magic markers, sharpies, 777 spray

glue, or anything else with an odor.

The final insult was what the medications did to my creativity. Total

brain fog! I could no longer focus my eyes, the cool ideas I used to

come up with were lost. Spontaneity? - Gone. The crazy things I used

to do to fix concepts and improve images were no longer possible. The

medications took away the edges of my personality (which as you know as

a " creative " is where the best work is done), I lost my sense of humor,

became very cranky. . . very un-like myself.

This is a wonderful group of people. They suggested I look into an aching

root-canal! Voila! 4 weeks post extraction I am SO Much Better! The

suggestions

from this group (and if you can get into the archives) are so helpful in making

life more bearable.

I feel very fortunate, I've had CU for 10 months and although I do not have

complete resolution of my symptoms, that may take some time . . . I am

on the

mend. Tomorrow, after 10 months of not working, I'm back in my studio.

Yeaaaaay!

Don't give up, You will find the answer. My Allergist gave me some really

good advice. " You are your own best doctor, I am your partner. You

only have

one life and you must demand it be a good life " . He also reassured me

at one

particular low point that he had helped others through CIU and that I wouldn't

have it forever either.

Take good care.

Jeanne

(tooth fairy)