Read Amanda’s personal journey from ‘recovery’ to ‘discovery’ – a Stella’s part participant who is now a thriving business owner and mental health advocate.
Words: Amanda Lederle
When I was diagnosed with depression in 2016, my goal was to be in “recovery.” That’s what I thought the next stage after diagnosis was. I now recognize that recovery wasn’t my ultimate goal. Soon after diagnosis, I began therapy. This was terrifying at first and I was afraid that I would lose myself; that I would somehow be less me. But I haven’t lost anything. There is nothing for me to recover, only discover. This is how I shifted my thinking from recovery to discovery. We should always be in discovery.
CreateBeing
My husband, David, has experienced anxiety and depression throughout his life. He was recently diagnosed with Severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and had a similar journey leaving his job shortly after his diagnosis. Soon after, we both dedicated our time and energy to our company, CreateBeing. We now nurture our creative selves and help others to do the same; we are truly creating our own being. Our company name, CreateBeing, is a coined word that outlines one’s progress and process of self development. At CreateBeing, we celebrate and share personal stories, knowledge and resources with the community. CreateBeing is a process that everyone can follow because it is based on your own personal experience and exploration. The only path is the one you choose, it’s all about creating who you want to be. As Rollo May says, “creativity is the process of bringing something new into being.”
We are in the business of supporting people’s self development and well-being. CreateBeing has an online community and also creates digital and printed art. Our services include supporting people with their start-up businesses and provide custom print-on-demand services. There are always more ideas and opportunities for collaboration and creation; we know this is just the beginning of what we do.
Stella’s Place
I came across Stella’s Place while searching for local mental health resources available in Toronto. Stella’s Place really stood out for me because it was the only mental health organization that had accessible, weekly workshops, ongoing events and courses focused to support youth. I knew I wanted to be a part of it and wanted others to know about it.
I attended two of Stella’s Studios to see what it would be like to be in this community. During this time, I felt like I needed to be more connected with others who have gone through Depression and Anxiety. Studio did not disappoint. It was really heart opening when I saw how welcoming, generous and involved everyone was that evening. From this experience, I knew I wanted to give back to them. If this is how I feel after a couple of sessions, I knew that Stella’s Place could help change lives. Studio was a great start for self-discovery support one’s ‘recovery’.
We all have Mental Health. My experience gave me the opportunity to review what exactly I wanted to do in my life. Self-expression through art and challenging our line of comfort gets us to a place where we can consider a new way of being. This allows space for what is possible in our lives. This is why we added Stella’s Place on our list of affiliated organizations. We donate 20% of sales from our products to these organization. This is our way to give back to the community that supports people like us.
Stay updated on our events, new products and join our community by subscribing to our newsletter and online community at Create Being. Head to our shop to check out our products and give back to places like Stella’s Place!
About Amanda
Amanda lives in Toronto with her Business and Life Partner, David and their chinchilla, Chewbacca. Amanda has experience with Major Depression and Anxiety. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and loves to be a part of the community to share stories and create conversation to end the stigma. She loves movies, design and art. Amanda has a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies and has a Visual Design certificate from SkillCrush.