Creating vs.Depression

I've been doing a lot of thinking the last few months. It all started when my dad passed away in July.  He loved working with his hands. I guess that's where I get it from. And then today someone in one of the facebook groups I'm in asked about personal passion and how other busy mothers fit that in. My thoughts went all over the place. One thing that stuck me was that when I don't follow my passions, if I'm not creating something, with my hands or with my mind, I sink into depression. In our house we make time for creativity. It may not be much. It may be 5 minutes between chores. We always have something with us when we go to the doctor. Those dead times are perfect for working with our hands. There are times when I have a ball of yarn in my pocket or bag and my knitting needles or crochet hook in my hands. That works for times when standing in line is necessary.
The holidays were a rough time in our house. As I mentioned I lost my dad in July. My sister found out in November that her father had stage 4 lung cancer. So the holidays were spent traveling back and forth. And in January he passed away. Our minds have turned more and more to our creative sides. That is what we both learned from our fathers. Both of them had careers that were mainly intellectual, but they both enjoyed working with their hands and creating things. They put so much love into things they created. Whether it was something they wrote or something they built, they put so much of themselves into it. It was just part of who they were.
Now we both feel like that part has passed down to us. Our creative outlets may be different that our fathers were. But we still carry the tradition on. Creativity is in our blood. It is part of who we are. Without it we are only half a person. I think that is why I have to be creating something or I start sliding into depression.