Jeff Spar, the co-founder of Peace Love Studios, has a non-profit organization that aims to spread awareness and happiness regarding mental health throughout the world. I will list the website for Peace Love Studios below, but he is trying to diffuse it around the globe to help as many people as possible. Honestly, just hearing inspires me to have a similar impact on someone else around the world. I feel ecstatic when I make someone smile because I know I have made an impact on someone and made their days even better. I used to volunteer at one of their studios in downtown Las Vegas where I cleaned up the studio and the garbage unit outside of it. Unfortunately, that studio is no longer there, but Peace Love Studios is continually growing every day.
I want to speak about this non-profit organization because muscular dystrophy can impact the brain function with its lack of dystrophin it creates. On top of this, steroids can intensify emotions, and maintaining control of your feelings is essential for people with muscular dystrophy and the whole world. In short, mental health is an increasingly growing issue, and I believe that the subject requires more attention. Peace Love Studios is an organization trying to address these problems in a fun and positive way. With the use of painting, he spreads happiness by allowing people to express themselves and be excited while doing it.
Nearing the end of the summer break in 2019, I mentioned how I did an internship at Solid BioSciences, which taught me an abundant amount of things regarding my condition. At the same, I was having some difficulties with a friend that resulted in us leaving the friendship. I was distraught and had no idea what to do with myself and experience extreme OCD at times. While I do find myself in a sad place at times in my life and obsess over things that ordinary people do not, I always could find happiness. But it was getting harder as I continued to age and gradually prevented me from seeing the caring relationships that surrounded me. I do not know why this is occurring, but I am sure steroids and muscular dystrophy intensify the issue.
Anyone that same day I lost a friend, my Dad showed me a video of Jeff Spar speaking about his experience with OCD, and it was incredibly inspiring. Within 30 minutes of watching the video, my Dad and I took a train to Rhode Island to meet Jeff Spar in person. My Dad met Jeff while he was working with the downtown project and is how he has that connection. After an incredibly fun night with his family (and trying octopus for the first time, which is disgusting), I asked him how he calms himself with his mental condition the next morning.
As he makes evident within his website, he has found that painting is one of the greatest things that have helped him throughout his journey. He has some magnificent paintings that he hangs around his house and an art studio he paints at home. He also mentioned how he spends time with his loving family, exercises frequently, stays focused on helping people, and writes in his journal, which helps him deal with mental health. While he said that he still feels this trapped feeling from his emotion, he has found a way to cope with it and help others do the same thing.
I would recommend anyone to check out Peace Love Studios because it is a fantastic organization working to help everyone with mental health issues. As someone with muscular dystrophy may not be scientifically proven, there could be a direct link between a lack of dystrophin and the formation of mental problems or intensified emotions that may blind you from seeing the happiness in life. I hope everyone can find something to do to maintain contentment, whether it is painting, swimming, reading, or finding passion within your work. It will be beneficial for your mind as your mind enables you to be productive and have an amazing life that everyone can have. Stay happy because life becomes meaningless when you can’t describe one fun activity that you do every day that you thoroughly enjoy.
I would also like to thank Jeff Spar for the advice he has given me. He made me realize that I had to begin reading more frequently, writing in a journal, trying to teach myself how to cook, being happy with my family, and focusing on things that I enjoy to maintain happiness. Peace Love Studios inspire me because you have been able to take someone you have been dealing with and help others cope with their condition. His actions inspire me and hope one day; I can have a similar impact on people to the same extent that you have. With this in mind, stay happy and keep all friends and family around you cheery as you can because you never know what they are dealing with inside of their heads.
