The FYM campaign took part in it's first public event in April this year...

Last month the Free Your Mind mental health campaign, aimed at helping to battle stigma towards mental illness by being creative, took part in it's first public event, which was an art exhibition called 'Broken Paths' at Croydon's Fairfield Halls.

Broken Paths organised by Imagine mental health charity's Croydon branch, and was also aimed at helping prevent stigma, prejudice and discrimination towards mental illnesses

The exhibition was held in the 'Sun Lounge' gallery at Fairfield Halls in Croydon and consisted of art, poetry, creative writing, and photography, all of which were works from some of the artists within South London's mental health community. Free Your Mind had six poems, displayed as graphic art, featured within the exhibit - all six of the featured poems were written by FYM's Nicola Edwards and can be found in the 'Creative Bank'.

The feedback received from the 'Broken Paths' art exhibition has been, and I know will be, very beneficial to the future plans and development of the Free Your Mind campaign. Over the next coming months our most immediate plans are to see the FYM team grow and develop.

We also hope that Broken Paths is the first of many public events which will include the involvement of the Free Your Mind mental health anti-stigma campaign.

Previous Blog Post: Upcoming 'Broken Paths' art exhibition at Croydon's Fairfield Halls.

The FYM 'Creative Bank'

The Free Your Mind Creative Bank was created with the intention of showcasing creativity - including art, poetry, videos, poetry, etc. - related to mental illness or FYM.

The Creative Bank will be constantly updated. And we more than welcome contributions; email us at freeyourmindcampaign@gmail.com.

The latest additions are:

New poem...

This doesn’t make any sense,
Why are they still shouting at me?
Their anger is unclear
And their motives seem strange

My vision is blurred
As I look through stormy eyes

There is no doubt I’ve done nothing wrong
And in my heart I know they’re afraid.

They want to make me feel ashamed
And deny our similarities
But right now I feel as if I’m gazing at their souls.
Whilst they continue to stare straight through me.

My skin is thicker than it looks
My pride is hard to infiltrate

My body and mind are tired
My fight and will remain strong

My defences are raised
As they declare war.

There is no doubt
That they will batter me to the ground.
But at the core I shall remain
Undefeated.

Art...

Visit the Creative Bank here.

How Art Can Calm the Mind

Art is an expression of thoughts and feelings, as well as an outlet for creativity. It is well known that mental illness fuels creativity, and being artistic can be a great therapy. The arts can be used as a natural way of calming the mind, and can contribute towards improving the state of your mental health.

As I've said, your mental illness can fuel your creativity; many famous artists and writers alike, are reported to have experienced mental health disorders. I'm not saying being mentally ill mean you will be able to make a living out of being an artist - obviously, if your skilled and passionate, go for it - but art is for us amateurs too.

Being creative can be an outlet for anger and frustration. This seems an obvious one, but think about how you feel after a good moan to a friend about the stress of life; this is how it can feel after expressing these emotions artistically. Indulging your creative side can also help with mental health problems such as anxiety; being artistic provides a successful distraction.

When choosing which method you will use to express yourself creatively, its up to you, but my advice for you would be:

• choose a method of artistic expression familiar to you (e.g. oils, watercolors, poetry, playing an instrument), or, alternatively, choose a couple of new creative outlets to try
• choose a method of creativity easily accessible to you
• don't worry about getting it perfect and, importantly, enjoy yourself!

Admiration of art can also contribute towards calming the undesirable symptoms of a mental illness. From watching a decent film, to reading a book of poetry, or a great work of literature, you can provide yourself with a healthy distraction from negative thoughts and emotions. Going to an art gallery can be both inspiring and uplifting. Visiting an art exhibition at a gallery has two major benefits for those of us diagnosed with a mental illness, especially those with an anxiety disorder; we leave the house and are provided with another healthy distraction. Many art exhibitions and galleries are free to enter - the Internet can be used to find out about free galleries or exhibitions near you - so don't let budget be your excuse not to go.

Expressing yourself through art, in any of its forms, can be a great outlet for unwanted thoughts and feeling, along with being a distraction from them. And, being a spectator of the arts can be extremely motivating.

I'd love to know what your thoughts are on what I have written and how the arts can help with mental health problems.

What is the Free Your Mind Campaign About?

Free Your Mind is a campaign founded by me, Nicola Edwards. The aim of the campaign is to combat stigma towards mental illness through the use of art, music, film and culture. I came up with the idea for the campaign after suffering discrimination towards my mental illness for many years. And it was during a stay on a psychiatric ward, after suffering abuse at the hands of the staff, that felt something more needed to be done.

I am in my twenties and was first diagnosed with a mental illness when I was fourteen. However, I experienced ill-mental health before that point. My diagnosis currently stands at "Borderline Personality Disorder, with Schizoaffective Disorder."

I would like to share with you some of my poetry.

The poetry I have to offer you is all written by me ans was written whilst I was in hospital. At the time I was very angry as I felt I was being treated unfairly by the staff.


Crazy

Don't call me crazy
for I'm not mad,
these words mean nothing to me.

Cruel ignorance
displayed by fools
whose judgement means nothing to me.

'Psycho person'
'Mental freak'
'Crazy' means nothing to me.

Who are you to judge
my mental state?
Your opinions mean nothing to me.

You might hear me scream.
You might see me cry.
Tears mean nothing to me.

Don't call me crazy,
for I don't judge you!
Your words mean nothing to me.


Anger

Burning red
my anger bubbles
inside my loins
stirring
a tirade of screaming.
So loud. I cannot hear
the calm I've
surrounded
myself with.
So angry
leaving me
almost deaf,
unable to breathe.
Surrounding me
with red noise,
red water,
red boiling blood;
cold to the skin
trickling
downwards.
Burning red
my anger boils.


My Mind

My mind is right
My mind may be wrong
My mind is frazzled
and my thoughts are long.

My mind is pretty messy
My mind is hard to tidy
My mind is described as crazy
and my thoughts are pretty hazy.

My mind is me
My mind cannot be changed
My mind breaks down
and my thoughts are rearranged.

My mind is trapped
My mind wants to be free
My mind engages my mouth
and my thoughts tend to flee.


Life according to me

Believe it you can
do whatever you want
and be anything you want to be.

Life can be a bitch,
so go on and grab it by the leash.



Obviously Different

I'm obviously different
from person A
and person B.

But don't get me wrong
it's not my mental disorder that makes me be;

because that is just a small fraction
of what makes my personality.

They locked me up because
my mind was going crazed,
apparently.

Upon one look
they said I'm obviously different
and threw away the key.


My campaign differs from the hugely successful Time to Change campaign, and other similar campaigns, in my approach to tackling the issue of discrimination towards mental illness. I am utilizing arts and culture to raise awareness.

 Find out about my experiences with mental illness here.

Related Free Your Mind Posts:

Talking about stigma towards mental illness

Discrimination

Fashion and Free Your Mind

Following Free Your Mind Campaign