blackowl

Similar experience here, but with a different hallucinogen. It has forever changed me, so I wanted to share. My close friend had a psychotic break due to daily marijuana use and is now on psychiatric drugs to control symptoms. She was always creative, but she could tell the difference between fantasy and reality. During the break, it was like she was rolling constantly and couldn't stop. She was hearing voices. Thinking that 2D images were alive. For months on end. She was ranting, crying, acting uncharacteristically pompous, then crumbling into a heap of shame. This is a professional middle-aged person who was living a full life.

My understanding is that for folks who are genetically predisposed, a life trigger can manifest in a mental health condition that likely never would have surfaced. Triggers may include in utero trauma, child abuse or chemical imbalance due to stress or controlled substances. Hallucinogens can trigger a serious mental health condition in an individual who may have lived an otherwise mentally stable life. Not unlike needing to watch cholesterol in a family who suffers from heart disease, perhaps. So, yeah, when I read "... in healthy people" it made me go hmmmm.

But still, psilocybin is not marijuana. And this is great news for those suffering from treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.

"You'll also get to know the people running the shows, and get to know the local community." This is key. Meeting people and forming relationships with other folks who love art so much that they, like you, want to find ways to share it with others.

What are your favorite galleries? Which shows stick with you, make you see the world differently? Are you more interested in formal work - visually appealing/ materially interesting work? Or are you more interested in conceptual work, art that is more overtly imbued with new ideas? Or all of the above/ something else....

Your studio practice activates by seeing lots of shows and introducing yourself to artists and gallerists who put on shows you resonate with. Art is a language we all share. So even though you are one artist making stuff, you are also part of a larger dialogue. Engaging in this conversation is how you get invited to show.