Am I going about this all wrong?

I don't get people on here who talk about not being on meds but have experienced severe depression and are still able to get through life and do all these things.

If it's so easy then what am I missing? What magical coping skills help you best?

Well everyone recovers at different rates, and they respond differently with things. They have different experiences and respond better to other treatments.
Some people can get by without meds, some people do appear like they have it more together. If you're not one of these people, that's fine. You don't need to take the same route to recovery as other people do. You should do what works for you best. Even if it's different, if it takes longer, takes more meds, more therapists, more anything, still do what helps you. Unfortunately there isn't any magic involved. If it were that simple then mental illness wouldn't be a problem for anyone to begin with.
A good place to start though is seeking comfort with other people, whether anyone had any earth shattering advice or not (like me!) it's good to build up a support system for when times are hard.

Because in truth, I am that monster.
We are an awkward little system that obsesses over things. We are Sam, Beyond, Stacy, Kevin, Kitty, Shannon,Link, Peyita, Stephen, Nicole, Damon, Pumpkin, Illonor, Daran,LIly. Feel free to send random cute things.

No-one can answer that question for you. There are no magical coping skills to make all your problems go away. Neither are there medications that make all your problems go away. But those practices and drugs can ease symptoms, provide alleviation of stress, pain and antics, and assist in transitory phases and in living a normal life. Finding your own balance is important.

For me regular activities are most beneficial, as well as breathing exercises, a healthy and manageable diet, and holistic anecdotes. A proper support system helps, as well as internal judgment and ethical reasoning.

Thank you, everyone, for your responses.

Honestly, I know there's no magic involved and that coping mechanisms vary from person to person. I was just angry because of a post someone wrote in the creative corner. It kind of felt like they were boasting a bit about being able to produce so much creative work without meds and such. I felt like I was being looked down on.

That probably wasn't even the case and I read it all wrong, but in the moment, I just felt outraged.

I was on meds for many, many years. They didn't help much so this past year the psychiatrist who assessed me when I was admitted to hospital took me off ALL my meds. I have not been on meds since April and I think I honestly feel better being off them than on them. I think I'm actually more stable for the most part.

I have definitely had a few crashes, but it forced me to work through them. In the past if I crashed I would up my meds, or change them, or find a way to blame them for not working so I didn't put a lot of effort in to maintaining myself. Now I don't have any meds to turn to. It's just me. It's hard at times, and I have to work really hard, and really trust my therapist, but I'm doing it.

I'm not advocating for one minute going off your meds, though. If your doctor has you on them, STAY ON THEM unless you are advised differently. Meds or no meds is really a conversation with your doc, but what I'm saying is we don't get by just fine without them. Rather we develop new coping mechanisms and use the tools we learn in therapy to help us get through each day.

I had final exams at school yesterday and I took some Ativan before going in to write. I was a total mess. They helped in the moment but I now know I need to work on test anxiety.