hey all im new to this site its really interesting to see people working out issues, getting things off their chests, and building a community. im 23 and broke with the faith when i left my parents house at 17, in effect i had before that but it took a while to free my mind from the doctrine. i like to think all that stuff is behind me but you know, upbringing affects you a lot. i felt very isolated as a child and continued to this day struggle with that. maybe i will always feel like an outsider.
writing, music, self expression has helped me a lot. i dont think much about those days but of course it still affects me deeply because my parents put so much pressure on me to believe a certain way, were very sheltering and psychologically controlling.
i was wondering if some of you have found some comfort in art and music and such, self expression can be like a form of therapy. its a space outside of any organized religion where you can find a higher meaning in things around you, interpret and make sense of things.
also, turning negative into positive, ive used my unusual (though not so unusual looking around this site!) upbringing to be a source of inspiration for creative writing. many people ive met who do not know what it is like to be raised JW find it fascinating to hear about. and often theyve had experiences that echoed mine in some way, from people ive met who were raised by gung-ho mormons, communist party members, etc.
keep writing, y'all. thank you.