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Jaclyn Bott

@jaclynnbott

2.9K

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welcome to all things Jaclyn ☀️
current projects:
@jbottphotography
@loverocksproject

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Thoughts from a brain living with bipolar II disorder #bipolar2 #bipolardisorder #bipolarawareness #mentalhealth by @jaclynnbott

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2 days ago

I know September is almost over, but there’s still time for me to share my story. 🫶🏻

I’m Jaclyn, and I live with bipolar II disorder, a very challenging mental health condition.

Because of this, I am no stranger to depression and the darkness that can come with it.

Last September, when I was struggling so deeply, I went for a walk and found a rock that saved my life. It reminded me to keep going, reminded me that I mattered, and gave me the strength to keep fighting, one day at a time.

And that’s how The Love Rocks Project was born. I felt the power of love and support that can come from such a tiny but meaningful gesture, and I wanted to keep that love flowing forward. ❤️

So thank you for being here! Supporting others is so important. Learning about mental health is so important. Taking care of ourselves and the people we love… so important.

Love you all so much. 🫶🏻

#suicidepreventionmonth #loverocksproject #bipolar2 #mentalhealthawareness #youareloved by @jaclynnbott

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10 days ago

Let’s create some art together 🙌🏼 by @jaclynnbott

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17 days ago

I’m picking up my camera again 📷
New account: @jbottphotography
Hope to see you there ❤️ by @jaclynnbott

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22 days ago

I’ve been learning how to grow my own herbs this season. Medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, herbs for spiritual and energetic use.. and it has been so rewarding. I feel like a little girl playing in the flowers again! 🌼 And each time I step outside to care for my plants, they surprise me with new leaves and new blooms. Also, did you know that the more you harvest herbs, the more they grow? It’s amazing to me how freely the earth gives to us 💚

Anyway, say hi to my new passion! by @jaclynnbott

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3 months ago

If you could choose one of these rocks to find on a hard day… which one would you need most?

Something to remind you to breathe?
To slow down?
To keep going?

Comment the one that speaks to you, we’d love to hear!

These little rocks are part of something bigger:
A mission to spread love, share kindness, and offer support to those who need it most. Because mental health matters, and even small reminders can make a real difference.

AND we’re so excited to share that The Love Rocks Project will be at our first market this Saturday! (April 25th)
@washingtonfarmersmarket

Come paint with us, take a rock if you need one, or leave one for someone else 🩷

#loverocksproject #spreadkindness #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthsupport by @jaclynnbott

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

By simply existing as human beings, we are CREATIVE. “Creativity doesn’t exclusively relate to making art. We all engage in this act on a daily basis. To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before.”
- Rick Ruben, The Creative Act.

This is so different from what we are taught “creativity” means. How many times have you heard “I’m not an artist so I’m not creative.”

To be human is to be creative, and to be creative is to be an artist. So you my friend, are in fact an artist.

We create our lives (whether consciously or unconsciously) through every choice we make. First - in our minds - where our brains put everything together, and then in our physical reality through our actions.

What are some ways you are creative without even realizing it?

#youarecreators #becreative #creativity #arttherapy #selfexpression by @jaclynnbott

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7 months ago

I think I’m going to be happy here 💛

For those of you who haven’t heard, we moved back down to Southern Utah! Cedar City this time.

And why the move?

To be closer to family.
To simplify our lives.
To create space for both @nicbottdesign and me to be the artists that we are.

A slower, more intentional life.

So here’s to a fresh start and a new chapter, ringing it in with the new year (although I don’t recommend moving between Christmas and the new year, LOL!)

#newyear #newchapter by @jaclynnbott

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9 months ago

learning to let down my walls
to unblock my beliefs
to let it flow
and to flow with ease

#letitgo #letitflow #healing by @jaclynnbott

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10 months ago

This past September, I hit a devastating low. I was drowning in a depressive episode, and I was losing my strength and hope. On the 16th I felt good enough to get outside, so I decided to go on a nature walk... a walk that would end up changing my life, with the love and kindness I needed to keep moving forward.

A huge thank you to @helfitness745 who launched this project in September as a way of contributing to Suicide Prevention Month. The rocks you painted deeply supported me that day, and I know they helped many other people as well.

Because of this moment in my life, I am launching The Love Rocks Project (@loverocksproject) as a way to keep the kindness moving forward.

Please check out this new account for ways you can spread love and hope, one rock at a time ❤️

#suicidepreventionawareness #loverocksproject #spreadkindness #lovewins by @jaclynnbott

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10 months ago

In January I had my first clinical hypomanic episode. I was going days without sleeping, buzzing with energy like I was plugged into an electrical current. It was terrifying but it also gave us the missing piece for an accurate diagnosis.

By March we learned it wasn’t just cycling depression or PMDD, it was Bipolar II Disorder. But the meds stopped working, and it was back to trial and error again.

By May I had to quit my job because the cycling was so severe, swinging from bed-ridden lows to overwhelming highs. I started to lose hope and surviving each day became my life.

All summer we tried medication after medication. Sometimes they helped me briefly, and sometimes they made things worse.

During this time I was grieving the person I had been before and questioning who I was now. Had I ever been me, or had it been the disorder all along? And which parts of myself belonged to me, and what belonged to the disorder? Everything began to blur and I lost myself.

In August the wrong medication pushed me into a dangerous place where I almost lost touch with reality. I realized this disorder has the ability to steal my self awareness, which made me lose trust in myself even more.

By September I crashed into the deepest depression I have ever experienced. It took so much effort, all of my effort just to hold on. Friends and family supported me so deeply during this time, and I was able to make it through.

But in October, once the harmful medication was out of my system, we finally found the right combo. I had my first month without crippling depression and my highs became manageable... But there was no way this was actually happening, so I didn’t get my hopes up.

And now it’s November. I’m still having episodes, but instead of lasting weeks they last days, and instead of throwing me too far they are manageable. I’m doing okay, I’m starting to dream again. And slowly, cautiously… I’m feeling hope.

#bipolar #bipolardisorder #bipolarawareness #bipolarii #bipolardepression #hypomania #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #breakthestigma by @jaclynnbott

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a year ago