Art & Mental Health

Hope & Fear

Lockdown one and two

Who could have predicted what was in store for us all in 2020?

The first lockdown saw an outpouring of gratitude and hope with lots of people having time to walk in nature, get creative or take up a new hobby with all the extra time on their hands.  Add to this the wonderful heart felt cheers, claps and hoots praising the NHS and front line workers for all they were doing and continue to do in this pandemic.  The devastating sadness however was also felt for families who endured loosing elderly relatives, family members or friends and the sense of loss for what was, the old world, of touch and physical connection. 

This second lockdown was always going to be hard.  Lockdown in Winter, with less daylight hours, fewer chances to venture outside, weather permitting, and a sense of needing more connection with other fellow human beings.

Random acts of kindness

The constant media deluge of daily reporting on the reality of what is happening in our world is overwhelming to say the least.  But what if there were more than one reality of what is happening in the world?  For instance the random acts of kindness witnessed every day shout hope and connection; notes inviting us all to smile stuck on park benches; invitations to join groups on social media; nods and waves from random strangers on the street.  We may have our masks on and feel closed down, but our hearts can remain open.  Could these heart felt connections in times of adversity be the seeds in which to build a new reality?

Mental health on the rise in pandemic

This diet of negativity can close down our hearts, make us feel disconnected and separate if we choose to let it.  There is no surprise that Mental health problems have rocketed during this time.  The isolation people have felt has been phenomenal and the fear that we are all experiencing right now has the ability to paralyse us all.

Growing up with fear as a child or as an adult can be debilitating.  Living with the devastating feeling that at any moment someone will pick on you, bully you, physically harm you, or abandon you. 

Night fears

I stopped having night fears at 47.  A friend told me that she had experienced night fears all her life due to trauma growing up as a child.  Then one day, after many years of working on herself, she had the realisation that she no longer needed to hold onto these feelings anymore.  I related to this story so much that I had the same reaction.  I had also met a kind and loving man who became my husband and helped me to see the beauty in darkness.  Now I revel in the opportunity to see the magic in our night sky and to venture out in the darkness to discover the dancing bats swooping over my head or the call of the owls beckoning me to a new world filled with wonder and awe.  Darkness no longer feels threatening and scary.

Following my dreams

I choose to follow my dreams, first in the fashion industry with a successful thirty year career and now working as an artist, making work and teaching.  I really enjoy sharing my knowledge with others and find this a vital tool for my art practice.  Participants have told me that they forget their troubles when making art, elderly students tell me the pain in their bodies disappear when they paint, pupils have told me that art has saved their lives.

Inclusive art for everyone

Maybe we have an opportunity to co-create a new world reality today, a world that combats fear with hope, kindness and compassion for one another.  A world that is inclusive where everyone gets the chance to contribute and be seen, especially in the art world.  This strange time has been a real leveler with groups not normally visible, getting much deserved airtime.  We may not be able to travel as much at the moment, but we can journey to other countries through the eyes of fellows we meet online if we choose to reach out and see what’s available.  We have choice.  Loosing three freelance jobs at the beginning of lockdown I decided to set up a Zoom Art sessions group where I teach mostly painting and drawing and different techniques I use in my art practice.  If you would like more details of how to join please Email me.

Can we transform fear into hope through art and creativity?  I did it and if I managed it so can you.  Art has certainly taken centre stage in this pandemic with more and more people turning to different creative endeavors.  Art can heal.

Only when our cup is overflowing can we give to others.  Artists are needed more than ever in our world today and we all need to keep creating and making, no matter what.  A slogan I love to use is ‘create not consume’!

Could this be the new dawning reality? It certainly has the power to fill us up, feed us and nourish our souls, so in return we can give to others.

Image - My pastel drawing entitled ‘flowers of hope’ on cartridge paper completed on Art Sessions workshop 14th December 2020.