Tip#1065: Coping Tools & Methods for Mental Health, Part 4 - Spielberg Documentary

I recently posted a photo of printed samples and archives with scans of my illustration work on Instagram and Facebook. I was touched when an old high school friend expressed her eagerness to see my new website THE ART OF EMMANUEL LOPEZ. That inspired me to finish it! This is what I wrote…

My new art website is almost finished! Going through decades worth of my artwork has been a joyful reunion with so many memories of times in high school, art college and over 20 years of my illustration business Crackers World Communications! I am so glad that many of my art and printed samples of illustrations survived the recent years of turmoil. Plus I'm so happy I invested countless hours to digitally scan as much of my illustrations that I could over ten years ago! This photo is just a small sampling of my unearthed treasures.

On the new website there are two main tabs: Published Illustrations and Original Art & Prints. And then under those headings are the following categories:

Published Illustrations: (click here)
1) Black & White
2) Colour & Line
3) Mixed Media/Collage
4) Earthy Textures
5) Juicy Colours
6) Caricatures
7) Unreleased Artworks
8) Self-Promotionals

Original Art & Prints: (click here)
• High School Works
• Art College Works
• Professional Works
• Portraits

Equally important is a special section called Creative Tools for Motivation featuring eight key tools I’ve used to help me cope with depression and difficult times. See: click here

While going through hundreds of art and illustrations of over 20 years I knew deep in my heart that my creativity was a huge coping tool for undiagnosed depression since my high school years. I often share in my motivational talks that movies have saved my life in dark times and I now add that my passion for art and illustration did too. Now I want to share this with others who could use their own creative tools for motivation and depression.

Two synchronistic events encouraged me to go on this emotionally healing journey in building this new art website. The first was seeing the awe-inspiring exhibition by fantasy filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro called "At Home With Monsters" (see #tip1061). And the other was seeing the amazing HBO documentary, Spielberg.

Spielberg (2017)

The documentary film, Spielberg, features the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg. This highly engaging, nostalgic movie includes exclusive interviews with actors, family, and the filmmaker himself as well as clips from over 50 years of films such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Catch Me If You Can and many more. See: movie trailer

I grew up loving Spielberg movies and for a long time I considered Close Encounters of the Third Kind as my favourite movie. His early films were so magical for me and purely wondrous on the big screen! He was a huge creative inspiration for my imagination while in high school, art college and right up to the present. So seeing scenes from favourite Spielberg films along with behind the scene stories was incredibly fascinating as well as feeling like a warm blanket of nostalgia!

What touched me even more was hearing Spielberg speak about personal demons with self-esteem growing up and the pain of dealing with his parent’s separation as well as how making movies helped his mental health. Filmmaking was a way to channel his sense of isolation and fractured relationship with his father which you can see in films such as E.T., Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Catch Me If You Can.

Spielberg's quotes from the documentary...

“Most of my demons were self inflicted wounds... I didn't have a lot of high esteem for myself growing up. I was just a lonely guy… I felt good about myself when I was making a film. But when I had too much time to think those scary whispers would start up.” 

“I avoided therapy because movies are my therapy!” 

Spielberg has always been a hero to me and now even more so knowing that his own creativity are coping tools for his personal pain. That is something I can deeply relate to and I hope other creative people can too. I highly recommend seeing this amazing film!

Creative coping tools for self-expression can be the silver lining within dark times and challenges we face in life. If you have a talent in art, music, writing or even filmmaking be conscious that you have a powerful method that could help empower your self-confidence, self-esteem, resilience and indestructible optimism! Find yours today!

Related Tips:
Tip#1015: Coping with Depression, Mental Health & Wellness -Collateral Beauty
Tip#1052: Coping Tools & Methods for Mental Health, Part 1 – Baby Driver
Tip#1056: Coping Tools & Methods for Mental Health, Part 2 – Alkaline Foods – The Martian
Tip#1065: Coping Tools & Methods for Mental Health, Part 4 - Spielberg Documentary

MOVIES & MENTAL HEALTH INTERVIEW:
Listen to Emmanuel’s interview on the podcast show THIS MOVIE’S ABOUT YOU with Thom Ernst (former host of TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies) and Louis Marrone. Emmanuel discusses his ideal double bill of GROUNDHOG DAY and PLEASANTVILLE and how they helped him cope with clinical depression. Click here

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT NEEDS CHEERING UP?
SEND THEM THIS: Uplifting Movie Montage produced by Emmanuel Lopez!

LISTEN TO EMMANUEL’S CBC RADIO INTERVIEW on
MOVIE MESSAGES OF HOPE: The Fresh Air Show

Remember How Movies Can Help You:
A) Entertain & Escape
B) Re-energize & Release
C) Inspiration & Motivation



Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Speaker on Health & Wellness
Discover How Movies Inspire Resilience & Indestructible Optimism
See website: www.motivatorman.com
 
© Emmanuel Lopez 2017