Category: Society and Mental Illness
Visual Artist Mark Lloyd says “Art can provide an avenue for self-expression, Art can enable us to realise the truth, art can provide hope and wonder, elements that can provoke change and save lives”.
Illustrator, animator and writer Andreea Stan says art saves lives “There were situations when I felt that my art was the only thing I had and it kept me going, it didn’t let me give up”.
Denny Reader talks to ASLI about his schizophrenia and using his creativity, saying “Its gives me a purpose and a platform to share my ideas and myself with the world around me”.
Musician and composer Shell Dooley speaks about music as therapy “I think creative expression is one of the best forms of therapy. It gives an individual a chance to communicate feelings that may not be able to come out in other forms. It can also be very calming and provide a focus and stability”.
Joyce Savage is on a mission to end stigma associated with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and uses poetry to manage her own mental health.
Andrea Ballance is a survivor of the Buddhist group NKT and tells ASLI “I have lived through PTSD and RT (religious trauma). I feel that I have something to say that can help people. I feel art in all its facets has an important role to play in an individual’s health and the health of our whole society”.
Youth, mental illness and discrimination. A theoretical approach By Becky Saunders
ASLI Team Member Becky Saunders “My journey in a nutshell” – Mental Illness, Health and Recovery
Debra-Lynn Hook speaks to ASLI about her photography, mental illness and her inspiring mission; The Healing Body Image Project, “If photos help one of our women progress one step forward on her healing path, that is change worth noting”.
Artist Jana Charl believes the statements “art saves lives” and “art creates change” reflect the power of art as both a practice and an impact on society.
Visual Artist Maz Fietz tells ASLI “I have used my art to raise awareness to stop the stigma of suicide and mental illness. My aim is to catch people’s attention through my art and create that change that could help save a life”.
John Ledger is a visual artist who uses his art to commentate on social/political issues. Speaking to ASLI about his own mental health and our worlds general malaise, John states “Our UK government is making life harder for the majority, under the word ‘austerity’. It is doing the opposite of helping people, because they are, making the problems that harms mental well-being worse”.
ASLI MAGAZINE - creating change 