Welcome to the blog for Free Your Mind mental health anti-stigma campaign

This is the blog for the Free Your Mind campaign which aims to battle stigma towards mental illness through the use of music, art, film, and culture.
The blog consists of informative and, hopefully, entertaining articles/posts.
Enjoy! :-)
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

New Poetry!

Eleven new poems have been added to the Free Your Mind 'Creative Bank'

The first new entry is a submission from a writer known as 'Spizzie 69'.

Past the Expiry 
The Darkness deepens as the pointless Plot thickens And the Black Clouds Weep at the memories of the past.
They have now just become shadows that fade into the nothingness of time
The once effective have became the rejected and now put aside to become The forgotten
Like the autumn leaf that now falls to the ground with its use expired
to be absorbed back into the soil and become the muddy foot print of something that once was!
Or as easily disposed of as the discarded waste from the night before!
So as the sunsets for the long night ahead, often wondering if there will be a dawn?
No new Day? No new Hopes? No new Dreams? No Life? No existence?
Best Before!....... Sell by! ..........Use by! .........Warranty invalid!........ Sold as seen....Dispose of carefully.....and Please DO NOT RECYCLE!!!


The following (10) poems, which have also been added to the 'Creative Bank', were originally posted to my Myspace blog in May 2010 and April 2009.
~Nicola Edwards
Sonnet
Falling in love is a common affair; 
a task arranged to be an ultimate end
to the loneliness that I bear.
I want more than just a one-night stand;
 
I’m looking for someone I can depend
on, and someone who is willing to care.
I want someone who will always be there.
To never know love just doesn’t seem fair.
They talk about love in songs and losing
your heart to the one they promised would come.
But, no knight in shining armour ever comes
to rescue me from life’s knocks and bruising.
So, I remain alone, my heart intact,
 
not knowing if love is fiction or fact.


Science Fiction
What wouldn’t I give to travel with Kirk and Spock
and boldly go
where no man has gone before.
Or run with the Doctor where nothings ever slow.
 
To enter the TARDIS and claim
“It’s bigger inside” before we go.
I’d leave this life and runaway.

Perhaps, 
if it were all real,
I wouldn’t plan this to be my final day.



Lies
Deep in the darkest part of her soul
is where her lover lies.
On the other side of the river, 
as far away from home as allowed,
 
she lives a double life
which will bring her trouble and strife.
But her heart tells her it’s alright.
She has hidden her fear
that her lover will find out
she is another man’s wife.
  
Love Hurts
With all the will in the world I push him aside
until he is nothing
but a distant memory;
 
until the pain he caused is fleeting.
No more will I be needing him.
 
From here on out,
 
it’s me, myself and I.
No more heartache,
 
no more crying
with him I made a mistake.
From here on out
 
I’m alone.
How I missed this painless bliss!



Lonely Woman
Whisky in hand,
in a dark, dingy bar.
It’s late and the bar is almost empty,
but the woman is unaware of the time
and even her
surroundings.
Only the no-smoking sign is apparent.
She downs her drink and rises from her stool.
Outside in the cold
she lifts a cigarette stick to her lips;
she inhales
and wonders what happier women do.
She exhales.
Time to call a cab; these streets aren’t safe for a lonely woman.



The Lonely Pupil
Troubled teenager, crouched in the corner
Shrouded in darkness, hair all a mess
Tear-stained face, lip split open
Covered in purple bruises.

The bell rings, and the student gathers her books,
Composes herself
Thinking how to explain away the damage
As the lonely pupil heads to her next class.



Do You See Me?
Do you notice I’m here?
Do you realize how I feel?
You’re oblivious
and it’s killing me.
Do you see me?
Do you even notice I’m standing right here?
My feelings run deep
and it hurts like tiny cuts.
Do you know I exist?
Do you even know I’m there?
My feelings for you
are like a cyst on my broken heart.
Will you ever notice me?
And how I can’t resist your tempting looks?


The End
The point-of-no-return
is getting closer.
Turning back
all I see is darkness
and the people I’ve left behind
Walking forward
I pick up my pace
making my heart race.
Unsure of what I’m heading toward
but I’m resilient and know I must carry on.
As I get closer
the light becomes brighter.
I’m scared of what lies ahead,
this path is unknown to me
and anyone who walks it.
I’m almost there now.
My breathing slows,
it becomes hard to think,
and my heart beats its final beat.
This is my stop. The end of the line.


Public Transport 
A curse on public transport

which bears the stench

of greasy takeaways;
and a curse on their sticky floor,
which invokes a sound like Velcro as you cross it to your seat.
A curse on public transport

for being unreliable, 

leaving me the commuter, 
to stand out in the drizzle.
A curse on public transport

for being a stifling oven 

in the summer,
and then below freezing in the winter.
But a final blessing on public transport

for without you I could not travel.....

On a bus
Looking out of a window
scenes rush by
- a woman drops her shopping –
on the bus a baby cries. 

Tuesday, 16 August 2011

Free Your Mind with these links! (FYM making it up to you for the lack of posts!)

Due to an extremely hectic schedule, I have been, and I still am, unable to blog as much as I usually would. Hopefully, the links bellow will make up for the shortage of blog posts. :)

At the top of my agenda, however, has been the expansion of Free Your Mind from more than a blog into a recognisable campaign that can make a difference and open people's minds to mental illness, and raise awareness of the issues, and debates, surrounding mental illness.

But, before that, this... Thank You!
Since this mental health anti-stigma campaign (and blog) launched in July 2010, the support FYM has received has been immense. Without your support, I'm certain there would have been times when I probably would have felt there was no longer any point, and I may have given up; but(!) this didn't happen because I had your support, and I am so grateful for that. Thank you all for all of your support and thank you for continuing to support Free Your Mind.


Links:
The following link is to the blog of Michael 'Frost' Williamson, a great friend and supporter of FYM since it's very beginnings. Michael is a professional stylist and designer working within the fashion industry. His portfolio of work includes working for All-Walks a campaign aimed at promoting a healthy body image in the fashion industry. Michael has long blogged about his exciting career in fashion, and he now has a vlog where he shares his invaluable fashion advice and styling tricks (available to watch on his safety-pin-charm blog, hosted on YouTube).


This next link is for the emotional, touching and inspirational vlog by Lucy a.k.a LoopzCreate (on YouTube). She speaks from the heart, so please watch her videos, and show my girl some love! :)


My next link is for Voices for Awareness which is blog written my a male in his twenties, writing about his experience with manic depression, self- harm, and the issues that come with having a mental health disorder. Voices for Awareness is also on Tumblr.

Another fantastic and honest blogger on Tumblr is 'Skylar'; a female in her twenties, blogging about mental illness, addiction, and her road to recovery.

Personal recommendations:
Caroline C. Kimberley is a fantastic artist from Yorkshire, loves rock music and is a huge The League of Gentlemen fan. Check out her artwork here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  <--All links here are to separate pages/blogs.

Free Your Mind can also be found online at Facebook and on Twitter.

Also:
Some great people to follow on Twitter:
Michael 'Frost' Williamson - @mwfrost
Lucy (LoopzCreate) - @loopysos
Caroline C. Kimberley- @CCKimberley
Me(!)Nicola Edwards - @TitchBNikkiE (changed Twitter username Feb. 2012)

Thursday, 3 February 2011

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...





Saturday, 11 September 2010

Creativity and Mental Illness

The Free Your Mind campaign has its roots in creativity as it aims to use art, music, film and culture to battle stigma towards mental illness. And it seems to me that mental illness and creativity go hand in hand. There must be a link!

Psychosis is the mental health problem in particular that is believed to spark creativity. The thought processes associated with mental illness have been proven to be an advantage; for example, anxiety at a non-clinical level has survival advantages.

My diagnosis includes psychosis, and there is no denying that I'm a creative person. My brain has a tendency to over think everything and it is very imaginative; and I have a photographic memory. I also have a terrible short-term memory; my long-term memory, however, is remarkable. Which I'm sure is all due to my mental illness.

The bizarre thinking patterns associated with psychosis are likely to be what spark creativity. Typically, a psychosis sufferer will make unusual associations and illogical connections. However, when it comes to being creative, this is a clear advantage.

University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson says, "The normal person classifies an object, and then forgets about it, even though that object is much more complex and interesting than he or she thinks. The creative person, by contrast, is always open to new possibilities." This is also how the minds of those diagnosed with mental health disorders, such as psychosis and bipolar disorder, work.

Mental illness is nothing new. It has been around for thousands of years. Therefore; evolutionary theory suggests that in order for them to still be here they must have some kind of survival advantage. Admittedly, my mental illness has hindered me a lot, getting me sectioned and in trouble with the police, but at the same time it really get the creative juices flowing and that has been a real life-line for me.

Along with writing blogs (I have three in total; one on Myspace, one on the subject of film, television and my career - Titch Films - and this one), my creativity also comes out in the forms of screenwriting and poetry writing.

Relatively little is known about mental illnesses, even now, but I am certain that time and research will show a definite link between creativity and mental health disorders. What do you think?

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

Inducing Calmness

Stress affects all of us, but especially those whom suffer from a mental illness. To function in the "outside world" people expect us to be calm rational individuals. But how is this possible when you have a mental illness? How do you combat stress?

Well... if you've got the money I suppose you could have a day trip to the spa. Otherwise, if you're on a budget, like me, there are cheaper alternatives.

The following relaxation techniques can help with emotions such as anxiety, or anger. I use most of these techniques as often as possible.

Technique #1: Music, candles and incense. This is a personal favourite of mine. Of course, just listening to music, or lighting candles, or incense, by themselves can be extremely relaxing; but I recommend a combination of all three. If you're in a bad mood, I nrecommend steering clear of the heavy metal, or trance, and putting something mellow on.

Technique #2: Bath or shower. I know, it sounds simple, but honestly, it works. Let the water wash away your troubles of the day. Immerse yourself in the water to get that truly refreshed feeling when you get out.

Technique #3: Be creative. Let your emotions fuel your creativity. Why not relax by doing a painting, or writing poetry, or a story, or playing an instrument. You don't have to be skilled, just embrace your creative side.

Technique #4: Dancing. This isn't necessarily relaxing, but dancing does release endorphins which make you eel elated, and this in itself can be calming.

There are, of course, many other relaxation techniques (feel free to add to my list). But the ones I have listed here are basic and simple, and can be used by anyone. Find what works best for you and soon you will feel calmer.
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