Guess How Many Years Chato Stewart Has Been Blogging At Psych Central?

Can guess how many years I've been blogging here at Psych Central? I remember the day John M. Grohol, Psy.D.  welcomed me, Chato Stewart and the Mental Health Humor project to Psych Central almost as if it was yesterday. 

"Humor is an individual thing, though, and we recognize that. So you may not find everything Chato does "funny," and that's okay. That just reminds us all that we all have an individual and unique sense of humor." –  ‡ by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.  April 23, 2010

Looking back, I am laughing at this AWESOME glowing embrace and review!  It's cheeky! Oh, but it is so true, Mental Health and Humor can be a fine line. For many years, some have used it in a negative and cruel way.  Yet, Doctor John got what I was going for right from the beginning:

Humor's one of those funny things, if you'll pardon the pun. Everyone's sense of humor is different. So having warned you ahead of time, I find some of Chato Stewart's cartoons on mental health and psychology topics funny, but you may not. -† By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.  April 4, 2008

Yes, while time-to-time there may be a need to be forewarned of the humor ahead.  No need to shock that old funny bone.

Dr. John let me drive the point home about the Mental health humor cartoon in the welcome when he says:'But Chato says it best —

I've known all my life the power behind humor, it can give help, hope, and healing. My goal and mission has also been to tap into humor and use it as a positive tool to cope with the serious and debilitating effects of mental illness. – by Chato Stewart April 23, 2010

Can you believe it has been six years of that I've been blogging here at Psych Central!  As I celebrate these last six years… that my 'diagnosis' can't strip me from the MOST POWER COPING MECHANISM I have – my sense of humor….I want to take a moment to say: THANK YOU for the all the Mental Health Humor Readers!

There are days when I am drawing, that I get emails from peers around the world that are all really encouraging. I think: I must be dreaming.  It is a wonderful dream to be drawing cartoons and sharing them with my peers that bring a smidgen of joy or laughter -LIGHT – in our, otherwise, dark world.

On more than a few occasions, peers that are experiencing deep depression express to me that they LOVE my Mental Health Humor cartoons. Yet, they can't take being happy right now.  Can you imagine that! Being so down that you will deprive yourself of anything that makes you feel any positive emotions…

I can. I feel that way often. I understand how it feels…not wanting to laugh, smile, or giggle… I understand the dark places better. Often better than the happy places.  That is why I know I have to try and reach my peers with these simple little, happy cartoons.

A little laugh, smile, giggle even if only for few seconds for my peers that are suffering from the effects of bi polar, depression, anxiety, moods disorders, ADHD, and a host of other mental health labels…Can change how we deal with the day or help us change a mood.

Gosh, I have to say it. If only one of my cartoons connects with you and makes you smile, laugh or giggle when you're feeling down, blue and BLAH!–Then it is worth all the time and effort I've put into drawing it.

Remember I only need one peer to like my cartoons. I don't want to place too much pressure and stress on myself. Way to set the bar Chato, at one!

Everyone's sense of funny and humor is different! The Mental Health Humor cartoons are written and drawn by someone not so different than my peers. My goal as already quoted: "I give help, hope, and healing… & …to tap into humor and use it as a positive tool."

The Da' Stew-Pid World February 13, 2013

The Da' Stew-Pid World

Robert: Oh I Feel so ALIVE! The SUN,the SKY…The WORLD is my STAGE!

Lady In the Park: Great! I can't wait to see your depressive stage. (Reading BP Hope Bipolar Disorder Peer to Peer Magazine)

Caption: Delusions Of Spring

Da Stew-Pid World History

It is said every blog has its own voice. Normally speaking it's based on the writer's strong points of view on a subject they are passionate about. Yet when you're starting out, it may take a while to find your "voice" and to keep it consistent. Well, The Da' Stew-Pid World  cartoon above is part of the same process but from a cartoonist blogger angle. This cartoon is from a series from a "working title" trying to find its own voice. I needed a title that made a point, that would say everything all at once.  Yet what I had with "The Da' Stew-Pid World" was really self-deprecating verbiage of my past.  Even though it was meant to be a play on words "Chato Stewart" = "Da Stew", when you add the "PID", I am basically saying 'STUPID', a word that does not unite. It would take a stay in the hospital for the series title to be transformed into what is known far and wide as the Mental Health Humor cartoon series.

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Support the Mental Health Humor Project's as a Patron of the Mental Health Arts.

Join in on the Mirth and funny Cartoons about living with Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety, Other mood and mental health disorders: Chato's free e-newsletter:http://eepurl.com/b5Mvj.

PLEASE, HELP ME SHARE A SMILE BY SHARING THESE POSTS via the social links below. "One Share Makes Many Smiles!" ~ Chato Stewart

Reference‡ Grohol, J. (2010). Welcome to Mental Health Humor. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 8, 2016, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/humor/2010/04/welcome-to-mental-health-humor/ 

† Grohol, J. (2008). Need a Light-Hearted Mental Health Laugh?. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 1, 2016, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/04/04/need-a-light-hearted-mental-health-laugh/ 

Source: Guess How Many Years Chato Stewart Has Been Blogging At Psych Central?