Paisley

Pencil drawing of my dachshund doggie, Paisley. Don West, Artist.
7”x10”, drawn in a medium LEDA sketchbook with a B graphite pencil.

A bit late to the New Year game this year but at least I know why. Clinical depression has been a lifelong struggle but I realize we all have our burdens to bear. In the big scheme of things, I am a lucky man and I thank God each day for another chance at life. As many of you might know, the big D makes it difficult at best, sometimes impossible, to be interested in anything, let alone creating something. Then it begins to lift. That’s the thing I keep telling myself…It’ll lift…and it does. Naturally, I take medication daily for the odd wiring I was born with. But, it doesn’t prevent clinical depression. It tempers it by assisting the balancing of the pesky ol’ brain chemicals that are unmanageable otherwise. Sometimes the med is even overwhelmed and the depression comes over me regardless. Unexplained. No event or reason. So, the cause or trigger for the defect it is still a mystery. But recently, from doing some research, I’ve come to think it might be ADHD that is at the root. I will be digging into getting help in that regard in 2023. Perhaps I’ll be on time with my first post of 2024.🙂🙏

My little dachshund buddy here is a long-haired version and honestly, I don’t know how I would get along without the companionship of a dog. I had to put down Mr. Ben, my 13 year companion, in 2020. Oddly, despite all the other tragedies I experienced in life (as we all do), losing my Corgi buddy Ben was the toughest. Paisley was his friend for a couple of years and now it’s just her that follows me around and provides humor and comfort. She appears as a Princess in this drawing, but is in reality, a Professional Sneak. That’s the nature of Wiener Dogs. And I’m glad about that.🙂❤️

Thanks for following along in 2022 my friend! Happy New Year to you and may you be truly blessed in 2023.