Deborah Leigh: Dabbling with Doodles
As 21st-century women, we sometimes let our plates get too full. Family, friends and jobs leave little time for personal endeavors. For Deborah Leigh, medical problems have piled on top of that full life. But she stumbled upon something she loved doing that also helps with the pain. Her story can be an inspiration to every woman. She not only relieves her symptoms but she has also tapped into a talent she didn't know she had.
Deborah has experienced migraine headaches for the last 11 years. When modern medicine wouldn't help, she turned to a more creative way to ease her pain. She dabbled in creative writing for quite a while until the migraines became a daily hassle that hindered the verbal side of her mind. She was forced to find other outlets to express herself. She began creating collages and then eventually started doodling on them. Doodling and drawing quickly became her therapeutic distraction.
Here's what she had to say:
You've mentioned that you did creative writing before discovering your visually creative side. If you find a medication or treatment that manages the pain, do you plan on going back to writing? Continue with your art? Or do both?
I would like to continue both. I really love doing both of them.
Would you one day like to sell your work? Or would you rather keep it as a personal coping mechanism?
I would like to sell more of my work. I started a store on Zazzle, and I've sold some of my doodles and cupcake collages. I would love to become an illustrator or cartoon artist someday.
What do you think is the "spice of life"?
Creativity.
Do you think you would have ever started drawing were it not for needing a way to cope?
I don't think I would have ever started before my migraines. I didn't think I had any visual artistic ability and I stumbled upon it trying to find another creative outlet.
Do you think the physical act of drawing helps with the pain or the fact that you've come to love your art?
I think it's the physical act that helps. I seem to use a different part of the brain when I'm doing it and the pain seems to back off.
If a movie were made about your life, who would you want to star as your character and why?
Parker Posey. She is a unique person and I love her in Party Girl.
If you could save only one material possession in your home, what would you save and why?
My British Museum cat statue. It's a small replica of an Egyptian Bronze cat with earrings. I bought it on my first trip to London, which I took by myself. I'm a total anglophile, so it means a lot to me.
What do you hope women take from your story?
That if doodling something like a crazy chicken wearing a hat helps you to cope, then you should go right ahead and do it. Keep trying new things because you might stumble on something that you didn't know about yourself, and you might find something valuable that helps you get through the harder times.
Have you ever thought of trying or tried some other means of coping, artistic or otherwise?
I use self-hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery and the occasional good old-fashioned snacking to distract me.
What is your favorite color and why?
I love yellow because it's the color of two of my favorite daffodils and rubber ducks.
What other hobbies do you have? What hobbies other than writing have you had to give up?
Like my creative writing, I've had to give up reading novels because of concentration problems. I have taken up more photography.
If a biography were written about you, what do you think the title should be?
My title would be "My Freaking Head Hurts!"
If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I love macaroni and cheese. I've never met a mac and cheese that I didn't like!
What do you like about being a woman in the 21st century?
I like being exposed to online communities like Flickr through the Internet. I've discovered many types of art like collage, mixed media and altered art that I never knew were out there before.
So many women are hindered from their creative sides in one way or another. Let Deborah's story remind you to take time out for yourself and let your inner artist flow. Do things that reveal natural talents and relieve stress and pain at the same time. The art of being a 21st-century woman is being balanced, well-rounded and most of all happy.
Kari Langton is a 20-something student with a love for writing. She pursues a practical life in nursing but is a closet artist. Not a party girl, she feels quite happy at home with her cat, a cup of coffee and her computer.
