It's OK to Feel Things Deeply

by Carissa Potter

This book is like a hug from a friend when you need it It's both a reminder that it's normal to feel things deeply and a companion for actually feeling better. With tons of empathy and a touch of humor, artist Carissa Potter offers wisdom on how to move through difficult emotions with practical steps to kick-start the process—ranging from soaking in a tub and having a good cry to talking to houseplants or hosting a private dance party. Illustrated in a vibrant eye-catching palette, this boldly authentic book is full of genuine support for pushing through life's tough times or whenever a little love is needed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Graphic Novels, Poetry, Mental Health, Comics, Psychology

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2018

About the author

Originally from Minneapolis, Carissa Potter lives and works in Oakland, California. Her prints and small-scale objects reflect her hopeless romanticism through their investigations into public and private intimacy. Speaking both humorously and poignantly to the human condition, Carissa's work touches chords we all can relate to - exploring situations we've all experienced at some point in our lives and conveying messages we simply long to hear. Carissa Potter is a founding member of Colpa Press and founder of People I've Loved. Since 2010, she has been an artist in residence at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, where she teaches letter­press. She also serves as a mentor in Southern Exposure's One-on-One Mentorship Program. Carissa received her MFA in Printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2010.

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

short & sweet & soothing. i read it spread out across several sad days. it'd be nice to have a hard copy on the shelf for comfort during hard times.

[Sasha Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

today i reread this book. i allowed myself to breathe. i am going to drink water. i am going to find my happy place and be still for a while. today i reread this book and it was needed.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The synopsis stated that this book aimed to include the following:

• Vibrant illustrations throughout
• Positive message promotes self-love
• Helps women tackle difficult emotions like depression, anxiety, anger, loneliness, and grief

It did exactly that. The book was brief and the text was limited. The illustrations were allowed to dominate and yet were still simple in style. I thought this uncomplicated nature of the book was a brilliant design for those suffering, as it ensured aid was immediately granted when most needed

[Lorraine Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially didn’t think I would rate this book 5/5⭐️, but wow. This book is beautifully written. This book let me BREATHE & live in the present, which is something I rarely do. I love the unfixed structure & how it’s a graphic novel, which is a genre I’ve never read before! I love how the author includes actually HELPFUL ways to feel better & why it’s OKAY to feel sad. I love the analogies, the gentle writing & colourful pictures. Sometimes, what may seem like “simple books” leave the largest impacts. I was going through a tough time before reading this book, but after quickly reading this short book, I instantly felt more self aware, enlightened, less suffocated & ultimately better! I love how this book includes such simple but life-changing reminders & perspectives which can really make you feel at ease with just being you and existing. This was an easy & fast comfort book which brought me so much warmth & made me feel okay with being me. It’s simple & an easy read, taking away all the pressure to finish this book as soon as possible. I love the imperfect art, which makes it a gorgeous book. This is the perfect book to get you through a dark tunnel & remind you you are loved. This book will always hold a special place in my heart & I’ll definitely pick this ESSENTIAL & PRECIOUS book up frequently for support, reminders & love! ❤️‍🔥💖🥰

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how some books come to me. But there they are - little pockets of words waiting to make their way to my mind. 'It's Ok To Feel Things Deeply,' is a cute little nugget. It's really like the blurb that says, "this book is like a hug from a friend." It is. It's the sort of hug you also want to give yourself. With cute illustrations, this book is light and warm. Treat yourself to this hug. Be loved.

[teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a sweet and warm book actually, but I've heard most of them thousand times. The illustration really nice

[nour ༉‧₊˚✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

helped me calm down a bit :) encouraged me to go make hot chocolate and finally change out of the clothes i’ve been wearing all day (it’s 10 pm 😭) and just relax

[prapti 🪷 · Rating 2 out of 5]

i pledge to be nothing but honest rn and tbvh i only read this book cause i had to reach my last minute made up goal for january- i completed it on time 😌

again, honestly- i had no expectations i went in completely blind, it has cute illustrations and kind words that you would like to hear on certain bad days and tbh i wasn’t having one of those days + i’ve seen many quotes and posts like that so it didn’t really affect me in any way

overall it’s a book with nice illustrations that you may like, you may also like the words/quoting so go read it + it’s a quick read

i got nothing against this book in all honesty xx

[Tova · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute sort of self help artsy inspirational book that was really cute and honestly had helpful (even if none of it was brand new) and it was a delight to read.

[fer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gosto muito dessa artista. é um livro bonitinho. Não acho que realmente ajude alguém a sair de sentimentos ruins, ansiedade e etcs, mas deixa um quentinho no coração

[Aiza Idris (biblio_mom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would totally believed it if people told me a 6 years old made the illustrations. Its THAT bad. BUT. This book is such a comfy read in my reading slump days and real-life slump days where I literally just slept all day and getting up feels like a chore. Funnily soothing.

[Teenu Vijayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what is called as finding right book at the right time.
Read it read it read it

[سهى · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soothing book for almost everyone :)

[Nicay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute way to remind ourselves that our feelings are all valid. I need a hardcopy of this book or I will not delete this book in my kindle to remind myself every time I am not okay.

[Milly Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

hermoso, por que me lo dio mi hermana, más

[Dana Cristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this one.

The illustrations aren't as bad as her other book. I really like these pieces of advice she's offering to us, like self-care. I really enjoyed this one and it put a smile on my face, for sure.

[Swati · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Read it as soon as you wake up. It will take you only 5 minutes," was the message from SM. I saw this when I woke up and I wondered how I can read a book in 5 minutes. But I followed her instructions and my day could not have started better. This little gem of a book with its hand-drawn sketches or doodles is one of those which you might want as a pocket book. A good dose of humour, and a large scoop of daily wisdom makes this a really wonderful read. And yes, do read it when you wake up.

[♡ kitty *:･ﾟ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed the art style in this and the message of the book overall, i’m having a bad day and this was just a really comforting read!!

[Shruti Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading it and immediately recommended it to 5 other people. What an absolutely delightful read. The choice of words and imagery makes a graphic novel worth recommending. This one was such book. :)

[Kamfosfor · Rating 3 out of 5]

2/5 stars
Had it’s high points but mostly bland. A picture book’s backbone is, well, pictures. And if the pictures and drawings are nothing special, then what’s the point? I have to admit though it really can help someone in a depressive episode, so the book is doing it’s job.

[Neil Pasricha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stressed out? Try this one. A little hug to yourself or a friend.

[Lini · Rating 5 out of 5]

It‘s a short nothing but still made me feel so much better each time I read a few pages and allowed myself to breathe.

[Kam Sova]

Fun and sweet, sometimes it's all you're looking for.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a miserable pain aidled day, this was exactly the book I needed to read.

2020 was a shit-storm for everybody all over the world. Life as we knew it was in chaos and we are still feeling the affects and devastation of everything that happened last year now. Our mental, emotional, and even physical loads right now are huge. While It's OK to Feel Things Deeply by Clarissa Potter was originally released in 2018, it's the perfect book for everyone to read right now.

This unassuming book was exactly what I needed at the time.

I don't usually read a lot of self-help books, so I'm finding this particular book hard to describe in ways that I feel do it justice. But It's OK to Feel Things Deeply is short, quick and easy read that exists to reassure the reader that you are doing okay. It's conversational tone makes the book read like you are talking to your close friends, allowing you as the reader greater access to the messages the book holds near and dear. This gives the reader an opportunity to open up in a way that you would not do if reading a scientific or psychological text book, while truthfully is offering that same information.

It's OK to Feel Things Deeply is not really offering its readers anything groundbreaking in terms of content. What it does offer is support, research, understanding and soft, gentle guidance on how to understand ones emotions and heartache and steps on how to rediscover yourself and your way through the emotional mind field we can find ourselves trapped in. It's not a super comprehensive self-help book but that doesn't diminish its worth and brilliance by any means.

Full of colourful backgrounds, text and images, It's OK to Feel Things Deeply is a bright and oddly playful book. It's text is simple, and handwritten, using meme-style illustrations (and yet not necessarily memes at all) to convey it's message. These snapshots make the book not only easy and quick to read, but it means on average this book can be read in its entirety in less than five minutes, all while you take time to pay attention to what's being said and how it affects and can help you. This makes it quite unique from other books speaking about emotions, anxiety, depression, stress  etc on the market, as it doesn't involve a long commitment of time or energy and yet it's a brilliant guide to recognising and understanding what you or a loved one is feeling, and offers a guiding hand for how to move through life.

The blurb of this book specifies that this book is targeted at women and I don't believe that it necessarily so. While the colour palette of bright colours (especially the pinks, and pastels) can be sterotyped as 'female colours', the book itself is not necessarily women-centric and thus males can and will get as much from it as women do. I actually think that it's somewhat damaging to it's appeal to specify women as it's sole readers. This assumes that men don't feel things deeply as well, or experience stress, anxiety, depression and that simply isn't true. It further supports the idea that men don't deal with their emotions, or that emotions are acknowledged and that's just as damaging. The more I think on this, the more I'm annoyed by it and hence I've knocked one star off.

It's OK to Feel Things Deeply is a deeply personal read that may not be for everyone. If you or a loved on are struggling with everything the world and life is throwing your way, I highly recommend you pick this book up and give it ago. It's a brilliant first step, as well as a comforting read for those who need it most. I can't thank Potter enough for writing this book.

This review was originally published at The Never Ending Bookshelf on 15th March 2021 and can be found here: https://wp.me/p3yY1u-2NF

[Brianna Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was nice in the way that I feel it should be required reading for most adults to learn how to be a decent person and how to treat themselves and others with kindness.

[এশা · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick & cute read.


•Universal truth: with time & space, things change.

[maegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a warm hug when I was feeling pretty low.

[gabi ✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

very sweet and comforting (and perfect for rainy days in which life seems to be slipping through your fingers)

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

This was okay. Pretty straightforward. Cute and colorful graphics.

[Rayven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great reminders. Thanks nika