r/diamondpainting • u/Entropy51013 • May 01 '26
Completed From a really dark anxiety spiral to a 60 hour NSFW diamond painting… now I’m hand-delivering it to a museum in Iceland NSFW
This is going to sound completely unhinged, but I promise there’s a real story behind it.
A few years ago, I was diagnosed with panic disorder and went through a really tough period. I eventually got to a better place. About a year ago, I hit a really dark patch again.
I wouldn’t even call it a relapse in a neat, clinical way. it just felt like everything came back hard. Constant anxiety, constant panic, that feeling of being stuck in your own head and hating every second of it. It was exhausting.
I started working through it again in therapy, and at one point my therapist mentioned that another patient had been using diamond painting to stay grounded.
So I figured i’ll try the sparkly craft.
And it actually helped. It gave me something to focus on when my brain wouldn’t stop. Something repetitive, something I could control. I started doing a few custom pieces along the way. Some just for fun, including a chaotic It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia inspired one that mostly just made me laugh (and now hangs over our guest bedroom bed (the implication)
Around that time, my partner and I had a bucket list trip planned to Iceland While we were there, we visited the Icelandic Phallological Museum and honestly, it was incredible.
You can get cocktails and wander around looking at an entire collection of penises. But what really stuck with me was the origin story. It started with one guy who, as a teenager, was gifted a specimen and just kept going. Something kind of absurd turned into something real, intentional, and lasting.
At one point, we saw that you can become an honorary member by contributing either a scientific specimen or a piece of art.
I remember thinking, well, that’s not for me, I’m not an artist. I can’t draw, I don’t paint, I don’t sing.
And my partner was like, you literally make art now. So we leaned all the way in.
We decided to create an Icelandic tourism poster… but completely ridiculous. Scenic landscape, volcano… except the volcano is very clearly a penis. A full-on penis volcano. Our mount erectna with northern lights included
I spent about 60 hours working on it. And somewhere along the way, it stopped being just a joke and became something I was genuinely proud of. So we submitted it. And they accepted it.
Not only that, they’re making me an honorary member, and I’m hand delivering the piece in less than two weeks. I’m going with my mom, which makes it even more special.
And I’m not going to lie, I cried when I got the email.
A few years ago, I couldn’t get on a plane because of panic attacks. A year ago, I was in a place where I felt like I was constantly fighting my own brain.
Now I’m flying to Iceland with my mom to deliver a diamond painting penis volcano to a museum.
It’s ridiculous. It’s absurd. It’s very NSFW.
But it also feels like one of the proudest moments of my life.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this here because diamond painting ended up being way more meaningful to me than I ever expected. It helped me get through something really hard and somehow, it led to… this.
Life is weird. Healing is messy. And apparently, diamond painting can take you to some very unexpected places.
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u/Dinples May 01 '26
It is not often that the story of a complete stranger gave me goosebumps. Multiple times.
All I can say is that I am incredibly glad that you found diamond painting and that it helps you deal with your panic disorder.
Enjoy the trip with your mom, go deliver your lava penis and most of all be very, very, very proud of what you have accomplished and how far you have gotten. I, as a total stranger, am proud of you.
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u/Entropy51013 May 02 '26
Hey Dinples! Really appreciate the kind words. I’m getting emotional again after reading all the kind comments. Who knew a diamond painted penis was going to be the thing that made me cry happy tears. Oh! We also have something in common - which is watch supernatural on repeat while Diamond painting!
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u/freakin_fracken May 01 '26
Can't believe a penis volcano made me cry! As someone who also has anxiety, and has many loved ones with worse anxiety, I am so happy and proud for you!
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u/Rain_Thunder May 01 '26
Congratulations on finishing this piece and learning coping mechanisms to deal with your anxiety!
I started Diamond painting during a similar situation with my anxiety and I agree with you on how it helps your brain stop. I also like to do it while listening to a lighthearted audiobook or sitcom. Having the multiple inputs really helps quiet my brain.
Keep going strong!
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u/CrackerjakHeart May 01 '26
Ditto on the book/podcast! It's like all the channels in my brain are being taken up so there's no bandwidth left for panic or depressive thoughts. It's such a RELIEF.
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u/Rain_Thunder May 01 '26
It helps so much; and sometimes even more than an anti-anxiety.
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u/CrackerjakHeart May 02 '26
Def more, for me! I've had NO success with meds. 😅
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u/Rain_Thunder May 02 '26
That sucks! It’s taken me some tries because I get really good for a long time and then need a med change. Idk if you’ve tried Hydroxyzine for as needed panic attacks but I like it nearly as much as a benzodiazepine and way easier to get!
Edit: as an over the counter option I’ve heard Benadryl works too. Hydroxyzine is just another type of antihistamine.
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u/CrackerjakHeart May 02 '26
Funnily enough, I was prescribed hydroxyzine years ago for "idiopathic urticaria" (aka hives of unknown origin). It's a histamine 2 blocker, which is why benedryl didn't work for me (benedryl is a histamine 1 blocker). I took it daily for years, but now just as needed. The only thing it does for me, besides treat the hives, is I sleep well when I take it.
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u/Rain_Thunder May 02 '26
Yeah. I’ve never tried Benadryl I’ve just had anecdotel evidence. I wish it make me sleep sleep sometimes!
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u/Entropy51013 May 02 '26
Thanks so much Rain_Thunder! I hope you’re doing better as well and thank you for the really kind words. My therapist was telling me that stuff like Diamond painting where there’s a lot of bilateral movement is just another way to help regulate the nervous system and hey can confirm it sure does!
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u/Sufficient_Display May 01 '26
I’m so proud of you!!! Thank you for sharing your story. I hope you have the best time in Iceland!
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u/Obvious-Confusion14 May 01 '26
That is amazing work you have done to get so far! I would ask for photos bc I would like to see some of the artworks but I am unsure how you'd share them with us. Great fine of the Iceland penis volcano. Looks amazing. Safe travels, enjoy yourself! Glad you are going with your Mom. Take lots of photos and snag some fun souvenirs!
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u/friendofborbs May 01 '26
This is so incredible, it looks amazing and I hope you have an amazing time delivering your masterpiece!
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u/SpecificAd7526 May 01 '26 edited May 01 '26
It’s amazing! I love it and I’m proud of you!!
What was your process for creating the artwork? After you designed the art, did you send it to one of the custom painting company’s to produce the kit? It turned out genuinely gorgeous!
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u/Entropy51013 May 02 '26
Hi! Thanks so much for the kind words. I get the feels anytime I read someone is proud of me.
The process was sort of cobbled together. We had the vision of a tourism poster based on the things we saw on our trip (volcanos/northern lights and penises). I wish I kept the scratch pad but just drew the rough outline of what I wanted it to look like and then uploaded it into ChatGPT with some concrete prompts on the colors as well as style. Shockingly, ChatGPT’s guidelines didn’t flag the fact I was trying to create a penis volcano (maybe because it wasn’t a hyper realistic penis). Either way, ordered from an Amazon custom Diamond painting kit and the rest is history!
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u/TheGoodOne81 May 01 '26
Thank you so, so, so much for sharing. I started a year ago as well and there are definitely a lot of us who do it as a bit of therapy and a way to disconnect. I'm really happy and excited for you. This is really great.
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u/age4hy May 01 '26
That is so flipping amazing and this Internet stranger is proud of you for fighting through the anxiety spiral and doing something absolutely phenomenal!
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u/PickleFlavordPopcorn May 01 '26
This is AMAZING!!! I’m a therapist and I often encourage people to start with just something really small. I have had several see the Diamond art I hang in my office and start doing it themselves, there is something SO soothing and step-by-step about it, kind of a metaphor for the way we have to heal. Painfully slow but if you keep cracking away it bit by bit you’ll get there.
What a phenomenal story, this internet stranger is so proud of you!!
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u/svrtalfur May 01 '26
This is awesome and epic and so cool! Congratulations and I CAN'T WAIT to see it in the (I presume) Phallological Museum in Reykjavík (my hometown, woo!)
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u/Fickle_Duty_6421 May 01 '26
This story was amazing 🥰 as a fellow anxiety spiral girl who is currently working my way out of a really dark time, you are inspirational! You should also sell this because I would 1000% do this diamond painting and proudly hang it on my wall.
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u/naivemelody9 May 01 '26
The poster is amazing and this is such a lovely story! It’s so interesting and beautiful to me how therapeutic this craft is to so many people. You should be proud of yourself because this is so so cool and I’m proud of you, too. 🙂
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u/plantmyselfhere May 01 '26
That is amazing! You are amazing and your artwork is amazing! Congratulations!
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u/thetruckerdave May 01 '26
Ok that’s so cool!! It’s great that you found your creativity even though you thought you weren’t artistic. Art is for everyone!
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u/CrackerjakHeart May 01 '26
Can you imagine that administrative office? Someone in a corner must be constantly calling everyone else over to their workstation to see the newest dick art submission. A+ work environment.
Museum offices not withstanding, excellent work! Congratulations on finding a creative outlet that helps you, and having the confidence to submit your work. Well done! Beautiful poster!
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u/luthienofdoriath May 02 '26
I love this so much. I am so proud of you! I’m going to have to visit this museum someday. Your story is inspirational, thank you for sharing!
PS: I’d love to see the It’s Always Sunny DP. 👀😊
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u/foofydildosoap 27d ago edited 27d ago
Maybe you should look into designing diamond painting pictures for people to DP? Or maybe you should make a whole series of penis Diamond Paint pics from around the world? Or genitalia prints? IDK but I'm getting the major feelies about this project! By the way, I think it's so cool that you did this. I love your Icelandic Volcanic Penis. Congratulations! Edit: I wanted to give you an award, because I really think you deserve it. But I just found out that NSFW content can not be awarded. So I realize emojis are not awards, but if they were here you go. 🌋🍆❄️
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u/Moonlit-Daisy May 01 '26
I am so damned proud of you for overcoming so much! I am also proud of you for that volcano penis! Fine work, my friend! Fine work!