Loving, Advocating & Living Well

Send us Fan MailWelcoming August’s neighbor, Betsy Watters. She is a Wenatchee-based artist, a mother and a fierce advocate for mental health. She joins us today to talk about the power of story. As an artist who has used multiple formats to express herself, her latest medium is both the written and spoken word.Betsy shares both what it’s like to stand on a stage in front of strangers at a Live storytelling event as well as living inside her own story and recognizing she is the author and editor-in-chief.And her stories are not fiction my friends, she speaks from the loving heart of a mother who’s son first experienced Manic symptoms— of what later would be called Bipolar Disorder —at 18 years of age. She has faced the hardship of advocating for loved ones living with mental illness. What has she learned, you ask?She says, “I once believed that if I did the right things, or avoided the wrong things, I could prevent difficult outcomes, but some of the hardest experiences of my life challenged that. I’ve learned that life doesn’t always follow a system of cosmic justice, and that I can find meaning, growth and peace without having certainty in all the answers.”  AND...It’s important for me to love people well & not abandon myself.”In our conversation and at the core of Betsy’s wisdom is:honoring curiosity over certaintypersonal boundariesfaith deconstruction AND…learning to care for and love herselfBio:Betsy Watters is an artist, creative thinker, and lifelong learner who believes that some of life’s most meaningful growth comes from the things we never expected to have to overcome. Her journey has included complicated family relationships, difficult seasons, and the experience of navigating the often challenging world of advocating for loved ones living with a mental health diagnosis. Along the way, she has learned about resilience, boundaries, self-advocacy, and the importance of caring for yourself while caring deeply for others. Betsy’s goals are to  bring creativity, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for authentic connection to both her life and relationships. She believes wellness isn’t about having everything figured out, it’s about learning to listen to yourself, make peace with what you can’t control, and create a life that feels genuinely your own.Resources:1. Story Time Project Wenatchee: [email protected] 2. NAMI Local Chapter: https://namincwa.org/3. NAMI.org - lots of wonderful resources and articles online and local support & educational meetings in person or virtual.4. It’s important to know what your regional options are before you’re in an active crisis. 5. Learning de-escalation techniques is helpful even if you never have to use them:.6. Call 988, Betsy says it is always a superior choice in a mental health crisis rather than calling 911.