Nicholas Ryan Purcell on Emotional Wellbeing. Nicholas is an award winning documentary maker.

Nicholas Ryan Purcell on Emotional Wellbeing

Nicholas is an award winning documentary maker. He has a documentary called THIS IS NICHOLAS, LIVING WITH AUTISM. He also won an award for raising autism awareness through this documentary.

The documentary film is fifty-two minutes and is only available on https://vimeo.com/266780988  

How my creative work impacts my emotional wellbeing

My documentary film projects and book writing have helped me to revisit past events, which in turn helps to heal.  The answers also surface, such as the triggers from past events shaping the way you feel today.  Through my documentary film, I discovered that the death of the man who drove pupils home from school including myself when I was aged ten was such a turning point in my life when I was aged ten.  I am now seeing a Counselling Therapist once a week.  He discovered four significant triggers.  One of those was the word Bye had such a negative impact on me because it felt like massive rejection and dismissal.  I would feel my gut wrench, each time I heard that word.  The therapist discovered through questions that this links back to one guy in Primary School, who screamed the word Bye into my face in the playground.  Now realising why I felt so rejected by anyone who said the word Bye.  Having discussed this with my therapist now makes it easier to accept that word.  Talking with a therapist and writing/making a documentary about past experiences equally have an effect on releasing past traumas. 

I am a visual person, therefore filming/editing the documentary film was definitely rewarding.  I only wrote the book because of the challenges around the pandemic with no gatherings.  

The documentary film is fifty-two minutes and is only available on https://vimeo.com/266780988  

The book can be purchased from most independent book retailers:  KILKENNY Khans Books and The Book Centre, CLONMEL Bookmarket, DUNGARVAN SGC Cinema, KINSALE Bookstore, MALLOW Philips Bookshop, KANTURK Bookshop, LIMERICK Crescent Bookshop, NENAGH Bookshop and Eason, DUBLIN SANDYMOUNT Books on The Green, TIPPERARY TOWN Jerry's Convenience Shop, EMLY TIPPERARY Callanan's Grocery Shop

Support

I am seeing a Counsellor Therapist.  I knew John from seeing him briefly in his wife's now former cafe in Nenagh County Tipperary, named 'Deborah's Country Cafe'.  Through back-and-forth discussion in the clinic, he identified four triggers from my past that are causing anxiety, overthinking, rejection, and fear, all linked back to childhood and early teenage years.  For example, the word 'bye' always caused me to tense up and shiver.  In that moment in the clinic, we realised this links back to one guy bully in Primary School.  He used to stand in front of the group and shout the word, bye, into my face very abruptly when I asked if I could join the playgroup.  John Hoare of Rose Cottage Holistic Healing is certainly helping me move forward.  https://www.rosecottageholistictherapy.ie/

Talking

On Sunday, I found myself getting unmotivated and unfulfilled.  I wanted to go to Lough Derg to surround myself with people to fill that void.  I felt empty inside.  Luckily, I discussed this with my Mum on Sunday how I feel unhappy, and she asked me, "is your next project not more important, you'll achieve nothing otherwise by going out if you are only concentrating on filling that void."  That helped me settle and concentrate on writing.

One kind word

One kind word can change someone's day.  I was at an event in Gurteen College today with my mother for an 'Energy and Agriculture' event.  It was one person, an authoritative figure through direct eye contact and a warm smile and a kind greeting that made the difference amongst the crowd.  I felt my inner void filling like a fire lighting in my stomach from that response.  I felt deep appreciation and inclusion by that simple gesture.  How can someone be so kind as to uplift your day?", I said to myself.

Self- esteem

Praise from others on my documentary film and book work has boosted my self-esteem.  That makes you feel so good about yourself when others compliment you.  Praise always suffocated the negative thoughts that always raced through my mind.  That was long before I started seeing the counsellor therapist and learning of the triggers.  I used the pandemic to help revisit and pull me through the dark times through writing the book.  The writing was a healer in itself, pulling me out of that dark shadow I was in. 

 You can connect with Nicholas via his FB http://www.facebook.com/NicholasRyanPurcellProductions