"THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST; THE RESEARCH BEFORE A PROJECT WHICH ALLOWS ME TO GROW AS A PERSON, THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT, THE JOY OF COLLABORATION: WORKING WITH & LEARNING FROM AN ARRAY OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, THE WAY IN WHICH CREATIVITY STRETCHES ME PERSONALLY AND SIMPLY THE FACT THAT EACH AND EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT."
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WHAT SHAPES MY WORK:
AS AN ARTIST I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR MENTAL HEALTH WITH A FOCUS ON BODY POSITIVITY. I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND EATING DISORDERS, AND I AM CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE DIAGNOSIS OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER AND BIPOLAR. IN CREATIVITY I FIND REFUGE, AND THROUGH MY ARTWORK I CAN BOTH LEARN ABOUT AND SHARE MY EXPERIENCE OF LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. THE ARTS ARE A GREAT FACILITATOR FOR GIVING A VOICE TO THE UNDERREPRESENTED, MY ARTWORK HAS GIVEN ME THE CONFIDENCE TO TALK ABOUT MY MENTAL ILLNESS AND I FEEL LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN THIS WAY. OPENING UP LINES OF COMMUNICATION IS WHAT DRIVES ME: HELPING TO EDUCATE AND BREAK DOWN STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL ILLNESS, THE STIGMA WHICH MADE ASKING FOR HELP INITIALLY SO DIFFICULT FOR ME. I HOPE THAT ANYONE TOUCHED BY MENTAL ILLNESS MAY TAKE COMFORT IN THIS KIND OF SHARING AND THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE AWAY FROM MY WORK AS WE ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH. |
MY PROCESS/ PRACTICE:
MY PRACTICE EXPLORES HOW OUR MINDS ARE STRUCTURED. THERE IS A DIRECT PARALLEL WITH CBT (COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY); TWISTING CONCEPTS AND CHALLENGING PERCEPTIONS OF HOW WE VIEW THE WORLD, MY WORK IS ABOUT DEALING WITH DIFFICULT EMOTIONS AND UGLY TOPICS. I BREAK DIFFICULT THINGS DOWN TO UNDERSTAND THEM, EXPLORE THEIR POSSIBILITIES AND REBUILD AND REIMAGINE THEM, UNVEILING SOMETHING “BEAUTIFUL”.
MY PASSION FOR LEARNING MEANS THAT I PUT AN EMPHASIS ON PROCESS, RESEARCH, PLAY AND EXPERIMENTATION WITHIN MY PRACTICE. I BREAK DOWN WORKING METHODOLOGIES AND EXPLORE HOW TOOLS AND MATERIALS CAN BE USED DIFFERENTLY TOGETHER. REVISITING AND RECYCLING IMAGES AND IDEAS WITH DIFFERENT PROCESSES TO SEE HOW I CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THEM. WHAT CONSTITUTES BEAUTY? DOES MY PROCESS MAKE SUBJECTS MORE OR LESS APPROACHABLE? EASIER TO DIGEST AND UNDERSTAND? EXPLORING ALL POSSIBLE “SOLUTIONS” TO A BRIEF, ADAPTING METHODS, PROCESSES AND OUTPUTS ACCORDING TO THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH, LOCATION AND THE ELEMENT OF CHANCE, IS WHAT I ENJOY MOST.” |
HOW CREATIVITY HELPS ME:
THROUGH THERAPY I BEGAN TO REALISE HOW LITTLE I RECOGNISE AND DEAL WITH MY EMOTIONS. CREATING ARTWORK ALLOWS ME TO ENGAGE INSTEAD. PRODUCING MY WORK GIVES ME A POSITIVE OUTLET FOR MY EMOTIONS, FRUSTRATIONS AND PROBLEMS. AS I FOCUS ON THE PROCESS OF MAKING I’M ABLE TO ESCAPE. THIS PROCESS ALLOWS TIME TO PASS AND EMOTIONS TO CALM, MEANING I CAN DEAL WITH THINGS FROM A MUCH MORE HELPFUL STARTING POINT.
MY ILLNESS CAN DRIVE ME TO CONTINUALLY CHALLENGING MYSELF TO DO BETTER AND CAN MAKE ME FEEL THE NEED TO GAIN CONTROL. THE INTERPRETIVE NATURE OF ART TAKES AWAY THESE PRESSURES AND ALLOWS ME TO OPEN UP AND EXPERIMENT. IT IS A REMINDER THAT THERE IS NO "GOOD" OR "BAD", THERE IS ONLY "INTERESTING". AS LONG AS I AM LEARNING THROUGH MAKING, I AM ACHIEVING! I HAVE SPENT YEARS LIVING WITH A MIND FULL OF UNHELPFUL THOUGHTS, CREATIVITY IS NOT ONLY A TOOL I USE FOR DISTRACTION, BUT HAS ALSO HELPED ME CHANNEL MY ENERGY IN A MUCH MORE POSITIVE WAY. BEING AN ARTIST GRANTS ME PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING THAT I ENJOY AND AM PASSIONATE ABOUT. IT HELPS TO SOOTH ME AND IT GIVES ME LIFE. |
WITHIN MY FIELD:
AS PART OF MY ONGOING COMMITMENT TO HAVING A VOICE AS AN ARTIST ADVOCATING FOR MENTAL WELLBEING, I HAVE WORKED WITH AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS BETHLEM GALLERY, SHAPE ARTS, OUTSIDE IN, ARTISTIC UK, KINGS COLLEGE LONDON (SPECIFICALLY THE INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE, THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTRE, MAUDSLEY CHARITY AND AM CURRENTLY AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE ON THE EVALUATION STRAND OF THE MENTAL HEALTH AND JUSTICE PROJECT: A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH INITIATIVE FUNDED BY THE WELLCOME TRUST AND PARTNERING WITH THE UK MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, LOOKING AT MENTAL HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS, AIMING TO DEVELOP CLINICAL, LEGAL AND PUBLIC POLICY STRATEGIES . OVER 100 PIECES OF MY ARTWORK CAN BE FOUND IN THE WELLCOME COLLECTION , I HAVE HAD WORK PUBLISHED WITH THE PSYCHOLOGIST, THE BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, AND THE LANCET JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND WAS THE COVER ARTIST FOR 2018.
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