IT'S OK TO

FEEL THINGS
DEEPLY
by carissa potter
Copyright © 2018 by Carissa Potter.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form without written permission from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4521-6364-2 (epub)
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7576-8 (epub3)
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7575-1 (mobi)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
ISBN: 978-1-4521-6351-2 (hc)
Design by Sara Schneider
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YOU ARE
NOT
ALONE.
EVERYONE
GETS
EMOTIONAL.
EVEN PLANTS*
*WE ARE
ALL MADE
OF THE
SAME
STUFF
SOMETIMES ALL
EMOTIONS SEEM
TO TURN INTO
SADNESS

TRUST

VULNERABILITY
 HOPE
ANGER
LONELI
RAGE
NESS
FEAR

LOVE BOREDOM
LOSS ANXIETY

SADNESS
STUPIDITY
SURPRISE
BUT HERE'S
THE THING...

(news flash)
WEARENOTMEANT OBEHAP YAL THETIME.
THE NATURE
OF FEELINGS

THINGS FEEL
INTENSE...
THEN
WITHOUT
WARNING,

THINGS
FEEL OK.
YOU CAN GET
THROUGH THIS.
UNIVERSAL
TRUTH:

WITH
TIME &
SPACE,

THINGS
CHANGE.
 YOU
WILL
FEEL
BETTER
RESEARCH
SHOWS
THAT
YOU
CAN
FEEL
BETTER...
...BY BEING
AWARE, TAKING
SMALL STEPS
FOR YOURSELF,
ASKING FOR
HELP & ALWAYS
KNOWING THAT
YOU ARE LOVED.
 BEGIN
ANYWHERE
A GOOD PLACE
A GOOD PLACE
MIGHT BE BY
NOTING YOUR
THOUGHT
PATTERNS &
BEING AWARE
OF YOUR
FEELINGS
CREATE
A PLAN
FOR
ACTION
 GET OUT
OF BED

LEAVE
THE
HOUSE
...or, try taking
any of these
steps...
 GIVE
YOURSELF
LOTS OF
LOVE
NEGATIVE
THOUGHTS

TIGHT
LID
I'M NOT
GOOD ENOUGH
PEOPLE ARE
MEAN
THINGS DON'T
FEEL RIGHT
I'M A BAD
PERSON
AFTER SOME
TIME A
FORCED SMILE
MIGHT FEEL
REAL.
GET COMFY
WITH UNCERTAINTY*

high dive
into the unknown
*IT'S JUST
YOUR BRAIN
WANTING MORE
INFO
 HOPE IS
ESSENTIAL
(LIKEWATERWHICHWESHOULDAL DRINKMOREF)
MAKE
A
HOPE
KIT

ANY
CONTAINER
WILL DO
THE JOB
 FILL WITH:

•EPHEMERA FROM
GOOD TIMES
•HOPES FOR
THE FUTURE
•PICTURES OF
PEOPLE YOU
•ENERGY
OBJECTS
•PRETTY SCENTS
•ANYTHING
THAT INSPIRES
WARM THOUGHTS
GET SOME
PERSPECTIVE,
MAKE A
WORRY LIST.

STUFF TO
WORRY
ABOUT:
WORLD
FINDING
CLEAN
ASK YOURSELF:

WILL IT
MATTER IF
I HAD CLEAN
UNDERWEAR
IN A YEAR?
WILL I EVEN
REMEMBER?

hummm...
PERCEPTION
IS REALITY

FOCUS
ON THE
POSITIVE
M O V I E N I G H TS
MOLDING VERA'S

TEAMS
CLAY PIES
MY SISTER A REALLY
IS GREAT GOOD JOKE
PAST LOVES
POP SHOES
SONGS
BRAINSTORM HOUS
COLD THINGS YOU'RE
MEDS
THANKFUL FOR: PIL
COFFEE PIL
HUMAN
SAFE BODIES SLEEPING LP
IN
SPACES DA
THEY'RE GRAND-
PRETTY PARENTS
AMAZING MODERN
SPRINGTIME PLUMBING
FLOWERS
HOT WARM
GOOD BACK FUDGE SAND
BOOKS RUBS
SUMMER
REALITY TV SHOWERS
 THRIFT LONG
SUNSETS TALKS
STORES
FAMILY
BLANKETS THAT WON'T
GO HOME
BIRDS FLYING
IN KNOWABLE BREATH
PATTERNS MINTS
EBOATS
MULTIPLE FRIED
LOW TRUTHS FOOD
HTS

SOFTFUR
DANCING
ZY CRAZY IN THE
YS COUSINS DARK
GROUP
FRIENDS

HUGS
WHO THERAPY
FRESH ARE
SNOW FAMILY TOOTHPASTE
FRIENDLY
MAPLE CATS
RUNNING
SYRUP WATER
TREES
MILK
MILK DUDS DUDS
ON A
COOL DAY HOPE FOR
THE FUTURE
 DO WHAT
IT TAKES...

9:30
TO GET
OUT OF
BED.
GET
CLEAN
REMEMBER A
SPACE WHERE
YOU FELT GOOD...

GO
THERE

W I T H Y O U R B O D Y O R M A Y B E Y O U R M I N D I S ENOUGH
(INSERT A
PERSONAL
PLACE HERE)
 PICK YOURSELF
SOME FLOWERS
(PERHAPS WHILE
NO ONE IS LOOKING)
EAT CHOCOLATE
WITHOUT GUILT

( t h e w h o l e b o x o r j u s t h e g o d o n e s .)
REAL WORLD
TAKE A DIGITAL DETOX
 SIT IN A
COMFORTABLE
SPOT. . .
FOCUS ON YOUR
BREATH & AFTER
A BIT OF TIME,

TRY RELAXING
EACH PART OF
YOUR BODY,
STARTING AT
YOUR TOES &
MOVE SLOWLY
UP...
NOTE THE
TENSE SPOTS.
 GIVE
YOURSELF A

DO
NO
THING
TODAY
PASS
 SIP MATCHA
TEA, WARM,

WHILE
TAKING
DEEP
BREATHS
BE GENTLE
WITH
YOURSELF
 I. E.
WHEN YOUR
INNER VOICE
IS ALL LIKE
"YOU SUCK."

ASK YOURSELF
WOULD YOU
EVER SAY THAT
TO SOMEONE
ELSE?
ORGANIZE STUF
CRY
IF
YOU
FEEL
LIKE
IT...
PET CATS...
OR HAVE A
STARE DOWN
WITH A FISH.
THINK ABOUT
THE SUPPORT
YOU GET FROM
ALL LIVING
ALL LIVING
 PRESCRIBE
YOURSELF
A COMEDY.

(ANYTHING WITH
MELISSA McCARTHY)
 OR JUST SEARCH
YOUTUBE FOR
“CAKE FAILS”

CONFETTI
 GET
SOME SUN.
IMAGINE THE
SUN GIVING YOU
LOTS OF ENERGY.
 SUPER
POWERS
S I
T T
make
R Space
O in youR
RE U body
RE T
C
H
WATCH
STUFF
GROW
TALK
IT
OUT

YOU
ARE SUCH

NO JUDGMENTALSPA
A GREAT
LISTENER
 MAKE
ANYTHING

* EMBRACE THE
BEAUTY INHERENT
IN IMPERFECTION
SING
ANY
WHERE

I
WANT
TO
DANCE
WITH
SOME
BODY
 JUST DANCE.
IF THIS IS A
PROBLEM, TURN
OFF THE LIGHTS.
MAKE AN APPT
THAT YOU'VE
BEEN PUTTING OFF...

CALL
DENTIST
 VISIT A
THRIFT

STORE & TREAT

YOURSELF
 GET
SPIRITUAL

BURN SAGE TO
WARD OFF EVIL
& LURKING
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS.
 SEE A
PSYCHIC

(FOR A NEW
PERSPECTIVE)
 CAST A
SPELL:
-LIGHT A CANDLE
-CLOSE YOUR EYES
-IMAGINE YOURSELF
IN A SAFE &
COMFORTABLE SPACE
-YOU ARE
RELAXED

-YOU ARE
LAUGHING
& HAPPY

-JUST BE HERE
FOR AS LONG
AS YOU NEED
BLAME IT
ON THE
MOON
(or stars, or
mercury might
be in retrograde

IN OTHER
WORDS, CHECK
IN WITH LIFE
FORCES LARGER
THAN YOU, LIKE
THE UNIVERSE.
PRIORITIZE
AN
ADVENTURE
LOOK AT THE
HORIZON & OR WHAT
YOU SMELL...
NOTICE THE
LIGHT...

TAP INTO
YOUR LESS-
DOMINANT
SENSES.
REACH
OUT TO
THE
PEOPLE
AROUND
YOU.
 THEY
WANT
TO BE
HERE 4
YOU.
THEY MIGHT
JUST NOT KNOW
YOU NEED THEM.
 SMILE
AT
STRANGERS

GOOD PRACTICE FOR

THE REAL THING &
YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU
SAW THAT DENTIST
 BAKE
SOMETHING
& SHARE IT.
 VISIT A
LIBRARY...

FRANKESTI JANE YRE

BELOVED
& ASK A LIBRARIAN
ABOUT THEIR FAVORITES.
& I'LL HAVE THE
ESCARGOT
PRETTY
PLEASE.

TRY TRYING
NEW THINGS
ACCEPT &
&
GIVE
SUPPORT
really
listen
to people.
make suRe
you hear them
when they
say they care
about you,
like, a lot
SPEND TIME
WITH SOMEONE
YOU ADMIRE &
WHO MAKES
YOU FEEL
GOOD.
TAKE COMFORT
IN KNOWING
THAT THEY FEEL
THAT WAY
ABOUT
YOU.
AND NOW
FOR
PERHAPS
THE HARD
PART:
KNOWING
DEEP DOWN
INSIDE THAT
 YOU
ARE
LOVED.
THIS BOOK IS FOR
YOU. THANKS FOR
JUST BEING. TO
CAITLIN KIRK PATRICK
& SARA SCHNEIDER=
DREAMS-COME-TRUE
MAKERS. THIS IS AS
MUCH YOUR BOOK AS
IT IS MINE.
& FOR VERA, WHO
TOLD ME IT'S OKAY
TO FEEL THINGS
DEEPLY. ALSO MY
MOM, WHO TAUGHT
ME ABOUT SWIMMING,
MIE FOR SHARING HER
'CAKE FAILS'SEARCH,
& JOSH. LET'S DO THIS.
Carissa Potter is an Oakland-based artist whose
work speaks humorously and poignantly to the
human condition. She is the author of I Like You,
I Love You, also from Chronicle Books, a founding
member of Colpa Press, and the founder of the
stationery line People I’ve Loved.
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