
Tag: art and 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”.

Esi Yankey speaks to ASLI about domestic violence and PTSD and says “I am firmly committed to speaking up on topics that too many people remain silent on.”

Artist Jessica Caudery “Writing, painting and drawing directly and indirectly became a way to express my emotions. It is difficult to say to what extent art has saved my life but it has been a constant positive, something which has perhaps kept me afloat during times of stress, anxiety and mild depression”.

ASLI Artist Louise Tomkinson states: “to me, “art saves lives” means having the power to use the language of art, as art is strong enough to pull someone back from the brink, therefore becoming the voice which enables art to create change”.

ASLI Team Member Becky Saunders “My journey in a nutshell” – Mental Illness, Health and Recovery

Visual Artist Lynn Excell speaks about grief, depression and staying creative: “‘Art Saves Lives’ to me, means that art is a way of helping to heal us when we are broken”.

ASLI Speak to Artist Mistresslisa Taylor about mental health and art in which she states, “Hand on my heart, art has saved my life. Without it I would be dead”.

Artist Jade Bryant is fiercely tackling her mental illness with art and in the process is changing the world’s awareness of Borderline Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Composer and writer Sophie Jupillat talks to ASLI about her experiences with mental illness “Being able to write creatively and play music was a secret garden in my world of chaos and destruction”.

Redoutable by Sophie Jupillat – The Story of a Mother and Daughter and their formidable relationship with mental illness

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.

Poet Tim Evans tells ASLI “Art can be comforting and cathartic. It can also challenge us, in a very visceral way, to look at the world and our attitudes to it in a new light and reconsider our thoughts and actions. In those ways, I think, art can both save lives and create change”.

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”.

ASLI Artist Ildiko Nova speaks to us about her thoughts on mental illness and art, saying “My art is my sanctuary where I don’t have to fulfill any social norms or expectations from society.”

Bipolar poet and visual artist Tracy Henham says ““Art saves lives” and “art creates change” are two very true statements in my eyes, art saved my life and through art I have managed to change my circumstances, my way of thinking and personal goals. Without Art I would not be here on this planet”.

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”.

Artist and writer Chris Dean speaks to ASLI about her mental illness, creativity and recovery and says “Art can give a voice to the things we can’t find the words to say. Those feelings that are so big, they feel like they might tear us to pieces from the inside out”.
