The artists' stories
"The Vibrant Mind" is an art contest that celebrates artistic expression from individuals with mental health conditions. By focusing on the artists' work rather than their various diagnoses, it hopes to promote a stigma-free and inclusive environment.
That being said, the participants were given the option to share their background stories if they wished to do so. They can be found in alphabetical order to the right
Ally Zlatar
Ally Zlatar is an artist, scholar and activist. She is the founder of The Starving Artist; an artist initiative that utilizes creative voices as a way to create advocacy and systemic reform. She also founded The Starving Artist Scholarship Fund which helps people access inpatient treatment for eating disorders. Her "This Body of Mine" campaign explores migrant experiences through creative voices and has helped support individuals and artists from refugee-seeking backgrounds globally. Ally Zlatar has received the highest accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian work; such as the Commonwealth Innovation Awards (2023), winner of The Princess Diana Legacy Award (2021), King Hamad Award for Youth Empowerment 2022, Lieutenant Governor's Community Volunteer Award from Ontario Government of Canada 2023 and also special recognition from The British Citizen Award 2022. Zlatar uses art as a tool to delve into the complexity of the human experience, particularly focusing on neurodivergent experiences, eating disorders and our relationships to our bodies. Her work draws from personal experiences & auto-ethnography to drive change. She recognizes the power in examining the unwell body and utilizes art as a means of activism, aiming to spark dialogue and create societal impact.
Amalie Sillat
I am first and foremost a storyteller. I tell stories of my own hardships and joys by writing poetry, painting and making audiovisual works. I have painted since I could hold a brush and painting has always been a form of therapy for me. It is a way to get out what I feel and think. I have come a long way, and healing is still in process. Some days have dark clouds, and some have sunshine. I mainly paint on stretched canvas and with acrylics. I have realised that most of my recent work is of myself. Autoportraits in various female forms - goddesses of life and its beauty. I have for years battled with depressive thoughts that I believe started after some traumas in my life. I would like to think of myself as an advocate for women who have been through abuse, and I hope that my art can help women see their beauty and strength.
Amy Rose Minichiello
Graduated with my BFA in Animation — I love all types of art from Photography, Graphic Design to 2D/3D Animation.
Anastas Krusińska
Through art I explore life
Ariel Michalak
I'm a socially engaged transgender artist from Poland. My work focuses on flora, fauna, human rights and nature. I’m heavily influenced by Japanese and Chinese art. I work traditionally, using mixed media on paper. Living with conditions such as depression, borderline personality disorder, ADHD and gender dysphoria in Poland has been very difficult. The stigma surrounding mental health is still big here. Especially when it comes to transgender people. Through my art, I want to show the reality of living with these conditions, as well as raising awareness about them. I believe that art can revolutionize the world, and my main motivation for taking action is the idea of unrestricted freedom.
Benny J
I was born with a rare disease called Nail Patella Syndrome. I was adopted at birth and have no family medical history. I have a medical history too long for such a short introduction so will focus on the primary project. I converted a medical diary into a daily Instagram diary posting photos edited to include my chronic pain number for the day in them, and the comments discussing my mental health and a sort of journal for the day. My camera keeps me alive by forcing me to take pictures that I want to be documenting my life. The places I go and the things I do, from crying in bed to standing on mountain tops. I have many medical diagnoses that include mental health issues like depression, and anxiety and am treated for these.
Bibiana Folvarcikova
I have been drawing, painting and creating art since I was a child. After college, I left Slovakia and immigrated to UK. I sporadically created art, but not as much as I needed or could. In my early 20s, I developed depression, which was not treated, I slipped the safety net, went through cycles of attempted suicides, very dark places in my mind, and attempted treatment. I experienced domestic abuse for many years and was diagnosed with C-PTSD alongside the clinical depression. My return to creating art helped me to get through some of the lowest points. I live with my conditions, they are managed and treated. Painting and making various creative projects are part of my therapy and coping strategy.
Bilge Keskin aka Young Blood Sucker
I am Bilge. I call myself a ‘young bloodsucker’ as an artist. Even though it doesn’t sound so fancy, I find this name really close to myself. Because of disassociation since my childhood and masking, I have questioned my identity for a long time. I find myself creating an identity by picking up traits that I find attractive to others in order to be accepted. So, young bloodsucker is a representation of that personality vampire trait I try to question. I am 23 years old and I am from Turkey. Now for 4 years I have been living and studying art in Belgium. First, I started studying medicine then I got into a deep depression during my studies and I found myself painting a lot so I changed my studies to painting. I create mixed media paintings and practice Butoh dance, exploring the intersection of mental health, identity, and societal norms. My art delves into the challenges of growing up with mental illnesses, particularly depression, anxiety, and dissociation. At the moment I have an unofficial autism diagnosis from my therapist and I will try to get an official diagnosis but it is a bit expensive so I am waiting. I am currently interested in neurodivergent groups and I want to make an impact on that subject through my art and my artistic research. I believe that neurodivergent people can add a lot to society but first, we need to support each other by showing others that all identities are acceptable and there is no right way to behave and use your body. Currently, I'm delving into the use of the body in a social context, exploring stims that may have been masked and seeking a deeper understanding of what my body truly desires.
Borbála Mátrai
I am Borbála Mátrai, 37 years old. I have been bipolar for twenty years, and due to my prematurity, I am slightly disabled. I have been working at the Moravcsik Foundation's gallery (Budapest Art Brut Gallery) for more than six years. I mainly paint at the art sessions held at the gallery. In my free time, I also like to work with textiles, I like to make tapestries and cross-stitch. Another of my favourite techniques is diamond painting. While creating I usually listen to psychological lectures, so I learn and develop mentally a lot. Creating and expressing myself helps me a lot in experiencing my bipolarity. A work is an imprint of my current state of mind. And in art therapy, I also have the opportunity to listen to other people's thoughts about my work. Besides creating, I love to learn languages and another passion is swimming, which not only helps me to move but also relaxes me.
Brynly Philpot
I've been drawing for 18 years. I did my first abstract piece prior to going into a mental health hospital in 2007. I've done roughly 4500 pictures. I briefly went to an art gallery in 2010 where people compared me to Louis Jean Baptiste. I've made £1000 off selling my pictures, and I've improved a lot since I started 18 years ago. A lot of people look at my pictures and think I've got a different concept from other artists. My dad calls me Pablo Picasso. I hope I've got a good chance of winning the competition, but I'd just love for other people to see all of my art from different periods of my life - from my sad days, my psychotic days and my happy days.
Cora Froger
Born in France in 1998. Multidisciplinary and curious, I studied literature, political science, philosophy of art and fine arts. I feed my artistic reflection with these other fields that I appreciate just as much. In my creations, I mainly deal with the female body, mental health, the links between the physical and the psychic, always adding a touch of colour. My work is also largely based on my daily life, I am inspired by my personal experiences, the society that surrounds me or my anxieties.
Cyndee Mitchell
A dual US/UK citizen, I have been living in Brussels since 2017 and will happily soon add ‘Belgian’ to my nationality collection. I have contended with mental health challenges for a number of years, particularly anxiety and panic attacks. I’ve experienced three or four burnouts over the last two decades and in 2021, I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 47. My world changed because I was able to see how throughout my life, so much of that had manifested in anxiety and depression from so much ‘masking’. Whilst dealing with this new information, I also received a breast cancer diagnosis - in the thick of the pandemic, no less - so suddenly had a host of new mental AND physical challenges to face. During this time, I began to play around with some art projects – drawing, painting, collage, digital, mixed media - for the first time and it has helped tremendously. I’ve had a polyvalent-style career, but have spent the last three years unemployed through illness and deciding what next to do with my life. Cinema is a strong passion of mine, and I’m keen to find a way to incorporate this and art into my aspirations of working with those in neurodivergent and/or other marginalised communities.
August De Puysseleir
De Puysseleir August (°1958, Antwerp) When my father died at the young age of 42, I took a job as a 15-year-old apprentice in a photo-engraving studio. Shortly after I had to deal with depression, addiction and manic periods that resulted in a breakdown. I subsequently had to give up the profession I loved. The situation got out of control. Drug addiction and poverty took over my life. After 35 years of drug abuse I decided 15 years ago to make the vital switch. The psychiatrist that guided my rehabilitation referred me to Kunsthuis Yellow Art, an artistic studio open for mentally vulnerable people. Ever since art became my cure and I can call myself a self-taught artist, always searching for new artistic encounters. DPA.
Denise Johansen
I am a multi-media artist, who works in mediums such as acrylic paints, textiles, ceramics, etc. I have had a history of clinical depression and generalised activity. I am on medication for life. I am now an Art in Health Practitioner with the N.H.S.
Doreen Olivier
I have suffered every kind of abuse as a child. I have had PTSD since a child. Art has always been my outlet for negative emotions. I have started expressing myself through digital art and expressing the challenges that come with having mental illness.
József Dubniczky
My name is József Dubniczky, I mostly make abstract drawings, which I make in detail because I want to show that despite my diagnosis, I can create value with my drawings, and I want them not to remain invisible, but to pay attention to art and thereby show myself. My mental state fluctuates, but for the most part, I am making good progress and have had good results in my recovery and will continue to do so. I also do a lot for myself with art. I am an experienced expert in the Awakenings Foundation, I help others, I live a full life and my goal is to become a good helper, I am happy about this project so that people can see our work on a wider scale.
Tamás Dubniczky
I have been going to the Awakenings Foundation for five years, I like to create with watercolours, acrylics, graphite and colour pencils and also to take photos
Elin Dahlsten
I do crochet and paint in oil. Earlier I worked in wood. I'm diagnosed with Asperger nowadays autism, bipolar 1 and ADD
Elisabeth Catharina Schuurman
I'm a young neurodiverse artist exploring the world, trying to help others and myself with my art. I'm fourteen years old and have been struggling with my ADHD, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. I've been drawing since I was two, but ever since I was ten, I have been actively using my art for self-expression. It helps me process. It also helps me talk about what I'm going through and connect with others. I live in Amsterdam with my parents and little sister. I like reading, writing, and listening to music. These hobbies also inspire me. When I started taking art seriously, I took my favourite songs and made artworks inspired by them. This helped me visualize music and make connections between my feelings and what I was trying to express. In the future, I want to study art and progress further. Even if I eventually can't make a living doing what I love, it will always be a dear hobby.
Emily Baker
Post-op trans woman, spoken word artist,, magician, musician, stand up comic (loving material only). Failed art at school and spent 30+ years telling people I couldn’t do art - I may have been wrong about that. Art is so therapeutic for me.
Erika Lehtonen
I am a 33-year-old woman from Finland. I am a mother of a 6-year-old boy. Most of my time I spend with my husband and my son and doing ceramics. I'm in the fourth and last year of my art school. First two years I had a really hard time managing my trauma symptoms. In the third year, I figured out how to navigate my challenges and started to thrive with my capacity to do art. For the past 1,5 years, I've found my passion in ceramics. The school has let me be in the pottery class in the daytime when the school is empty. It has been a game changer for my sensory overload issues. I love it and being in a quiet place by myself I don't get so much overwhelming stress and sensory overload and I can do art at my own pace. I have a lot of inner fire in me, but because of my C-PTSD, I have to navigate how to deal with my challenges and limitations. I am really easily stressed, even from positive things and I have to be really aware of my boundaries. Otherwise, I will start having panic attacks, and nightmares and I will become really sleepy and I can't do anything. Most of the time people can't notice my challenges which is sometimes distressing to have comments like don't stress. They do not know or understand that developmental trauma affects your brain.
Fred Wilde
Not much to say. Came through the care system with a lot of the associated issues during and afterwards. Diagnosed late on with EUPD, anxiety and depression. I like to read and learn, my paintings are acrylic but I also do pencil work
Gareth Doyle
Hi there, my name is Gareth. After a switch in career aspirations, I am now attempting to take my art more seriously i.e. selling, exhibiting locally and taking on commissions whilst helping take care of my family. I'm a big believer in keeping a sketchbook and tend to fill these with pen and ink drawings. After which I will decide which ones I like and create a larger piece either in ink wash or I'll import into the digital realm and redraw and add colour in order to make art prints. About three years ago my mental health took a dip, I struggled with high anxiety, and depression and was unable to handle stress, I've been working hard to improve this over the last few years, hence a commitment to the creative process.
Graeme Cook
My background includes helping clients to overcome disorders, challenges, and injuries and achieve their physical health goals. Throughout my career, I have assessed conditions and communicated with clients to develop treatment plans and lead individual therapy sessions. My skills in general administration and organisation, along with my dynamic collaborative abilities and my positive attitude and work ethic, position me to excel in this role. A small selection of my key projects and qualifications includes performing a broad span of administrative support functions, including reporting, employee orientation and training, meeting coordination, scheduling/calendar management, logistics, and supply maintenance. Coordinated and scheduled conferences, business / social events, and board meetings, including handling travel and logistical arrangements. Demonstrated a steadfast commitment to providing outstanding support within fast-paced, customer-facing environments while streamlining operations and achieving organisational success. Excel at balancing multiple tasks while providing top-level organisation, interpersonal, and communication skills. Monitor individuals’ progress and adapt and modify actions throughout the course of the treatments as needed to ensure optimal improvement and performance. Educate patients on diagnoses, anatomy, physiology, and expected benefits from applied PT interventions. I am a highly organised and efficient professional with a comprehensive background in managing public relations, restructuring office functions for improved efficiency, and exercising clinical acumen. I have also administered comprehensive therapeutic treatments for patients while serving as a physiotherapist at Walkergate Hospital, Marie Curie Hospice, South Tyneside General Musculoskeletal Outpatients Department, North Tyneside General Hospital, and Orthopaedics. I am dyslexic and am interested in conceptual abstract art.
James Berrie
57 yr old man from London UK, a mixture of abstract art and impressionistic. I have found painting a relief from the trials of everyday life.while adhd affects parts of my life in a negative way, I have found it a fits perfectly within the creative process. I have been influenced by ancient Celtic art .
Janika Regelin
I am 40 years old and I live in Pori Finland, I graduated in 2015 with a bachelor of Visual arts. My art has mental health as a key theme. I work in multiple disciplines and mixed mediums.
This is my Instagram link where I post actively https://www.instagram.com/janika_regelin/
Jason Albertini
I have been a music maker all my adult life until the last 2 years when my mental and physical health deteriorated to the point where I am practically housebound at present. I am married and have a very creative 12-year-old daughter. I toured with my band all over Europe and the US, and as I am a highly sensitive person, I had to force myself way outside my comfort zone to do all this, often away from my family for months at a time. That explains my SUD. Now, I hear voices and they are not always friendly, Sometimes, I feel that I am possessed by a very evil spirit; people do not like to hear this. Believe me; my daily life is hard! I recently announced that I would be retiring from my band project after 18 years and this has led to an increased interest in acquiring the many albums I produced; as I am handling the distribution of these orders myself – with the help of my very organized wife -, I am forced to venture out to the local post office several times each day. I feel that this is a first step for me to return to ‘normal’ activity again, albeit in a small way. During these long days of inactivity, I have been doing collages of my life’s work and my life, which I use as artwork when re-releasing some of my albums. This is what I am entering in this competition.
Julia Pivén
I'm a professional artist and oil painter who lives with psychosis illness. https://juliapiven.com
Jyrki Nieminen
I have been doing photography for many years. My work has been in exhibitions mainly in Finland. I have had depression many times since the 90`s At the moment I´m feeling quite well.
Katarina Alho
My name is Katarina Alho and I'm from Helsinki, Finland. For a big part of my life, I have struggled with various mental health challenges. Art has always been a kind of escape for me from a stressful situation and anxiety, but also a help to deal with difficult issues. I've tried a lot of different creative things in my life, and in recent years I've focused most on painting. I graduated from the Open Art School in the spring and I feel like I learned a lot about painting and art, life and myself there. I saw this competition on Taiteen Sulattamo's website and thought I should participate. It would be interesting to see and hear other people's works and stories as well.
Katarína Iršová
I love painting, because it heps me to overcome my anxiety. I do paintings by number with acrylic colours and drawing portraits of famous people by pencil. In my past I spent some time with Art brut - type of art, which is only for people, who have problems with mental health. My mental health conditions are due to fact that I have hobbies like sport and drawing are much more better. Now I work as a Peer Consultant in League for Mental Health
Kim Rance
I'm 59 yrs old and live with my partner and 3 cats in Mere (UK). My Partner has been unofficially diagnosed with ASD and I am highly likely to be ADHD with other possible comorbidities. We are both on long waiting lists for assessment and struggle with our various symptoms. I have recently taken the qualification for Indian Head Massage for ASC and ADHD children and Adults by Giuliana Wheater and passed. I aim to help people and pets who are anxious. I have recently volunteered as the Secretary for a small local ASC group in the smallest town in Wiltshire, UK. I paint as a pastime and enjoy the company as my mobility is comprised as I wait for a spine operation. This picture is a slice of the brain of an ADHDer, and how it ruminates, moves, and dives throughout the day and at night. "The Restless Brain" it's called.
Kristina Skako
Born in Dubrovnik, finished Economics high school, divorced, and have a 26year old son. Living with borderline disorder with psychosis for more than 20 years. I had very hard times with my family who are a source of my trauma, I never truly recovered from the trauma my father inflicted on me during the war in Croatia...I am trying to recover through art, my sister is an academic painter. I always lived in her shadow. I am trying to find my light through paintings, I am part of a group of artists Ulipud in Dubrovnik
Liisa Marjatta Jokinen
My background includes helping clients to overcome disorders, challenges, and injuries and achieve their physical health goals. Throughout my career, I have assessed conditions and communicated with clients to develop treatment plans and lead individual therapy sessions. My skills in general administration and organisation, along with my dynamic collaborative abilities and my positive attitude and work ethic, position me to excel in this role. A small selection of my key projects and qualifications includes performing a broad span of administrative support functions, including reporting, employee orientation and training, meeting coordination, scheduling/calendar management, logistics, and supply maintenance. Coordinated and scheduled conferences, business / social events, and board meetings, including handling travel and logistical arrangements. Demonstrated a steadfast commitment to providing outstanding support within fast-paced, customer-facing environments while streamlining operations and achieving organisational success. Excel at balancing multiple tasks while providing top-level organisation, interpersonal, and communication skills. Monitor individuals’ progress and adapt and modify actions throughout the course of the treatments as needed to ensure optimal improvement and performance. Educate patients on diagnoses, anatomy, physiology, and expected benefits from applied PT interventions. I am a highly organised and efficient professional with a comprehensive background in managing public relations, restructuring office functions for improved efficiency, and exercising clinical acumen. I have also administered comprehensive therapeutic treatments for patients while serving as a physiotherapist at Walkergate Hospital, Marie Curie Hospice, South Tyneside General Musculoskeletal Outpatients Department, North Tyneside General Hospital, and Orthopaedics. I am dyslexic and am interested in conceptual abstract art.
Lisa Holden
Hi, I draw and paint images related to my childhood experiences. I often use metaphors such as the woods to describe my struggles. I often draw myself as a young child with her dog, the dog represents my depression but also the safety of my depression…as a coping mechanism. I have had ongoing clinical depression since I was a teenager. I am now a volunteer counsellor helping others and when I have the time and energy I like to do my art as I find it therapeutic, exciting but at times frustrating.
Lisa Korpershoek
I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I draw and paint on anything, of anything. I like to use mundane things as my canvas and media. Permanent markers, old wooden planks, and ballpoint pens. I also use acrylic paints, aquarels, and pencils. My style varies, going from print-like simple drawings to portraits and still-lifes. I was diagnosed with ASD at 17 years old. It has helped me realise why I am how I am and how I can reflect that in my art.
Lora-Elly Vannieuwenhuysen
I'm a neurodivergent visual artist, and I use my art to showcase my personal journey with neurodiversity and trauma. My aim is to foster greater understanding and respect for these conditions through my creative work, while also providing a sense of connection and understanding to others
Madeleina Kay
I am a visual artist and musician, currently studying for a Master's degree in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins in London. As a neurodivergent artist who suffers from mental health illness, I have been creating work which explores the experience of cognitive overwhelm. This manifests in textured abstract splatter paintings in oil on canvas.
Marjo Hämäläinen
I am a mother of three children. I graduated as a visual artist from North Karelia University of Applied Sciences in 2005. I love to do all kinds of drawings, paintings and photography.
Mats Konradsson
Life didn't turn out quite as I imagined, but I'm living a good life.
Michael Marinus Cornelis van der Meide
Fashion design in this case we show with photography and video
Mind Warrior
I´m a traumatised person who has had mental health issues for approximately 25 years. I´m trying to lead as happy a life as possible and to fulfil my dreams the best I can, just like healthy and non-traumatised people do. I think I have the same right to do that even though I am sick. I wish everyone had the right to have a good, happy life without any extra suffering. That is what I think.
Nika Dolenec
My name is Nika and I've been struggling with my mental health since I was in primary school. I have C-PTSD and schizoaffective disorder. I started drawing during tough times to just let my thoughts and feelings out, without judging what I created. Art has helped me in ways I can't even put into words. That led me to the realisation that I want to pursue art therapy as a career.
Nikodeemus Toukola
I have missed many opportunities because of my mental health status, history, and all things related. Diagnosed in 2004, during the period of 20 years of hospital care periods - 16 times. I work as an artist as my condition allows me, I write, draw, photograph, make music, and think.
Outi Niva
I am Outi, a 53-year-old woman, a mother of three children and a grandmother. New Year's Eve is an anniversary for me. It will be 11 years since my son died suddenly in a car accident. It started a whole new kind of life for me. It felt like my whole body flew in pieces around that small living room when the policemen standing in front of me with sadness shared the sad message. I still remember that pain. I still feel that pain. Time has softened the pain, but it has also broken something in me which can’t be fixed. Somehow, I tried to survive day after day, year after year. At first, it felt like time stopped, well into spring, the season didn't change for me. I wished that I could go back or that I could have made a trade, I could have died instead of my child. I wanted to talk endlessly and repeat the scene over and over again. Could anyone help? Could anyone change what happened? Death is final. I'm trying to survive. I ended a relationship where I suffered emotional and physical abuse. Confusion, alcohol, several job changes… I was diagnosed with depression. The antidepressants didn’t work for me. I felt that I couldn't take this. It’s too hard. I don't want to live. In the spring of 2019, my employment contract ended and I buried myself at home. I found work too much for me. I thought that I wouldn't leave home until I found out where I actually had strength. Who am I anyway after all these experiences? My childhood trauma started to surface in my mind. Everything started to swirl in my head like a messed-up ball of yarn. In the fall of 2020, something wonderful happened. Encouraged by my friend, I applied to Pori Art School and got in. Making art has proven to be an important channel for me on my journey to wholeness. By experimenting with various materials and techniques, I began to get to know myself. In the end, the emotional process set in motion by making the artwork has been more important to me than the work itself. The state when logical thinking is pushed aside and you let your body speak through your hands has been very therapeutic for me. I think that what art technique I like to use from time to time is seasonal. My latest passion has been ceramics, but I also get excited about painting and drawing. It has been liberating to understand that I don't have to chain myself to just one technique.
Peter Johansson
I'm 64 years old and have had schizophrenia since 25 years ago. I take photos of buildings and other things. I was raised in Africa since my father was an adviser in water transport. I lived about 6 years in Africa. Now I live in the southern part of Sweden, in Malmö.
Réka Putnóczki
I'm Reka Putnoczki and I am a 20-year-old artist. I'm living with borderline personality disorder and I'm on the schizophrenia spectrum. I do mostly textiles but also drawing with pencils and then digitally I do symmetry on the artworks.
Sadepisaroita
When I was 13 years old, I got sick with a psycho-physical functional disorder. That illness put me in a wheelchair for two years due to non-functioning legs, with no other physical illness. Before I got sick, I was an active child, whose biggest dream was to become a professional soccer player, so due to being confined to a wheelchair, I was also diagnosed with anxiety and depression. The functional disorder has also brought me lots of other physical symptoms, but at the moment I am walking on my own feet and there are no other symptoms. However, those childhood events have left me with eternal scars that I heal in regular therapy. When sports were no longer possible as a child, I started to use the time for art. Even today, art is important to me and I always do it when I have time. I love to do different projects and try everything possible. Most of all, I like to paint with acrylic paints and paint different pictures, which often feature creatures of the imagination in bright colours, but sometimes it is also therapeutic to paint dark pictures and heal the wounds of the past.
Saija Hytti
I'm 40 years old and I live in Finland. I paint abstract paintings in acrylic paints. I have had bipolar disorder for over 20 years and the disorder is been many years pretty much balanced
Sami Nyberg
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2007. Since then, I have been attending only in work activities and no longer in actual working life. The disease has remained under control with medication. I have been making art since 2000. My work has been exhibited in ten exhibitions.
Sarah Naughter
My name is Sarah Naughter I am a fine art sculpture artist from Dublin Ireland I attended the National College of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an art teacher I took time out of my studies for family purposes and unfortunately my health deteriorated rapidly which took me away from who I am and had a huge impact on my mental well being. I woke up one day with vision loss I went to an optician who said I had a central macular haemorrhage and advised me to attend which I did and ended up spending months admitted under investigation by the end of my time in the hospital I was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome without any cause I was stuck in pain with no way of return without rewiring my brain. I suffer 24/7 chronic pain which had a devastating impact on my mental health I felt as though I would give up on life on goals opportunities and being a mother. To be stuck in a nightmare of endless pain and learning to accept this new body. So I learned different ways of coping I learned through movement the pain lessoned through destressing and being mindful I lessened my pain. I recently got a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder which is a neuro/psychiatric disorder which is a condition in which patients have symptoms such as movement disorders including tremors, dystonia, loss of vision, speech slurred, memory loss and limb weakness/paralysis blackouts also known as dissociative seizures and it has been my mission ever since to come back to the artist I have always been and to use art to raise awareness of my condition and mental health in general. As first sufferers usually don't have a structural cause it is a delay in diagnosis and symptoms progressing leaving patients frustrated hopeless and left behind. Be it physical or mental pain we should stand together with our voices heard and not be afraid of the stigma attached to this or any other mental health condition. I now have to use a walking frame as support as my condition has progressed but I feel as though if we get support mentally and try to create a balance within we can look at the walker frame as a frame of mind to not limit ourselves due to mental health conditions or disabilities. Recently my neuropsychologist sent me the link to this competition and as part of my therapy I decided to enter the competition to try to help others and I trust it will. My message is to keep going and keep moving in body mind and spirit. Thank you
Sarus Erika
Even at a young age, I liked to draw, paint, craft, sew, knit, and paint the wall. Later, I found creativity and varied, diverse tasks in my work as a marketing director. With so much work, I didn't have time for any hobbies. I was diagnosed with depression in 2008, and since I have been treated at the Ébredések Alapítvány. In 2015, I suffered more mental traumas and also developed aphantasia at that time. At this time, I went to a guided painting session and realized that painting means complete liberation to me. I have been retired since 2018. I had more time to create and improve. I started looking for my painting style four or five years ago. The owner and members of an open studio I visit regularly also help me with finding my way. After two joint exhibitions, I just had my first independent exhibition in November. Additionally, I have continued to craft; my upcycling bags, scarves, and jewellery are very popular among my friends. Maybe bipolar disorder also helps me to have new ideas every day. It was a great pleasure to learn about the current opportunity. I think it is important to show what we are capable of.
Sini
I have a lot of experience with struggling with many kinds of mental health problems through the years, beginning in my childhood. I have had depression, panic attacks and anxiety from the very early years of my life. When I was a teenager I had to spend long periods of time in a youth psych ward because I wanted to kill myself. Life hasn't been easy, though there have always been good things too! I finally got more permanent help for my anxiety about a year ago through medication. And the biggest help and relief was the ADHD diagnosis that I got last March. It helped me to understand myself. Now when I look back at my life, ADHD explains a lot, not everything, but a lot of my battles with mental health. I am very thankful for my life and everything I've been through because, without all of it, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I've never been this anxiety-free for this long. ADHD is a part of me and I would not give it away even if I could. I have my own struggles still of course, but now I have understanding and more tools to create my own kind of life and be happy. ADHD is also a huge resource and a never-ending source of creativity. Through my own experiences, I can understand other people struggling with mental health problems and I hope to find a way to help others through my experience, music and other art forms.
Suvi Miettinen
HI! My name is Suvi Miettinen. I am a student of special needs education from Eastern Finland. I have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since my early teenage years. Unfortunately, I got this diagnose as late as my early 30’s. As a teenager, I was misdiagnosed to have severe depression and even schizophrenia leading to wrong medicine and incorrect treatment. A few years ago, I was injured in a bicycle accident and had severe bone fractures and brain damage. I struggled with speaking, understanding speech and time, reading etc. I was in bad shape both physically and mentally and needed hospital care for almost two years. Since then, I have been drawing out my emotions. I have used art to recover. I have had trauma therapy almost four years now and it has been an answer to my prayers. My journey to recovery has been very long. Nowadays I have peace in my mind and a strong resilience. My PTSD has eased.
Tamara Dalanics
Hello, I'm Tamara Dalanics. I live in Budapest, Hungary. I have borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. Art is quite important to me, I often feel that creating art is what's keeping me afloat emotionally. There are many feelings I can express through my art, plus there's a lot of stuff I can get out of my system during the process of making art. And thus I'm not going nuts.
Tóth Katalin
I was born 15. March 1960. I am retired. I was an English, Hungarian, and Russian language and literature teacher. I mostly draw, but I use a lot of other methods. I feel completely well now. About the courses, my master teachers, and my exhibitions I wrote in my English, and Hungarian Curriculum Vitae. I will send them to you, too.
Sarah Naughter
My name is Sarah Naughter I am a fine art sculpture artist from Dublin Ireland I attended the National College of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an art teacher I took time out of my studies for family purposes and unfortunately my health deteriorated rapidly which took me away from who I am and had a huge impact on my mental well being. I woke up one day with vision loss I went to an optician who said I had a central macular haemorrhage and advised me to attend which I did and ended up spending months admitted under investigation by the end of my time in the hospital I was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome without any cause I was stuck in pain with no way of return without rewiring my brain. I suffer 24/7 chronic pain which had a devastating impact on my mental health I felt as though I would give up on life on goals opportunities and being a mother. To be stuck in a nightmare of endless pain and learning to accept this new body. So I learned different ways of coping I learned through movement the pain lessoned through destressing and being mindful I lessened my pain. I recently got a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder which is a neuro/psychiatric disorder which is a condition in which patients have symptoms such as movement disorders including tremors, dystonia, loss of vision, speech slurred, memory loss and limb weakness/paralysis blackouts also known as dissociative seizures and it has been my mission ever since to come back to the artist I have always been and to use art to raise awareness of my condition and mental health in general. As first sufferers usually don't have a structural cause it is a delay in diagnosis and symptoms progressing leaving patients frustrated hopeless and left behind. Be it physical or mental pain we should stand together with our voices heard and not be afraid of the stigma attached to this or any other mental health condition. I now have to use a walking frame as support as my condition has progressed but I feel as though if we get support mentally and try to create a balance within we can look at the walker frame as a frame of mind to not limit ourselves due to mental health conditions or disabilities. Recently my neuropsychologist sent me the link to this competition and as part of my therapy I decided to enter the competition to try to help others and I trust it will. My message is to keep going and keep moving in body mind and spirit. Thank you
Sarah Naughter
My name is Sarah Naughter I am a fine art sculpture artist from Dublin Ireland I attended the National College of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an art teacher I took time out of my studies for family purposes and unfortunately my health deteriorated rapidly which took me away from who I am and had a huge impact on my mental well being. I woke up one day with vision loss I went to an optician who said I had a central macular haemorrhage and advised me to attend which I did and ended up spending months admitted under investigation by the end of my time in the hospital I was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome without any cause I was stuck in pain with no way of return without rewiring my brain. I suffer 24/7 chronic pain which had a devastating impact on my mental health I felt as though I would give up on life on goals opportunities and being a mother. To be stuck in a nightmare of endless pain and learning to accept this new body. So I learned different ways of coping I learned through movement the pain lessoned through destressing and being mindful I lessened my pain. I recently got a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder which is a neuro/psychiatric disorder which is a condition in which patients have symptoms such as movement disorders including tremors, dystonia, loss of vision, speech slurred, memory loss and limb weakness/paralysis blackouts also known as dissociative seizures and it has been my mission ever since to come back to the artist I have always been and to use art to raise awareness of my condition and mental health in general. As first sufferers usually don't have a structural cause it is a delay in diagnosis and symptoms progressing leaving patients frustrated hopeless and left behind. Be it physical or mental pain we should stand together with our voices heard and not be afraid of the stigma attached to this or any other mental health condition. I now have to use a walking frame as support as my condition has progressed but I feel as though if we get support mentally and try to create a balance within we can look at the walker frame as a frame of mind to not limit ourselves due to mental health conditions or disabilities. Recently my neuropsychologist sent me the link to this competition and as part of my therapy I decided to enter the competition to try to help others and I trust it will. My message is to keep going and keep moving in body mind and spirit. Thank you
Sarah Naughter
My name is Sarah Naughter I am a fine art sculpture artist from Dublin Ireland I attended the National College of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an art teacher I took time out of my studies for family purposes and unfortunately my health deteriorated rapidly which took me away from who I am and had a huge impact on my mental well being. I woke up one day with vision loss I went to an optician who said I had a central macular haemorrhage and advised me to attend which I did and ended up spending months admitted under investigation by the end of my time in the hospital I was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome without any cause I was stuck in pain with no way of return without rewiring my brain. I suffer 24/7 chronic pain which had a devastating impact on my mental health I felt as though I would give up on life on goals opportunities and being a mother. To be stuck in a nightmare of endless pain and learning to accept this new body. So I learned different ways of coping I learned through movement the pain lessoned through destressing and being mindful I lessened my pain. I recently got a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder which is a neuro/psychiatric disorder which is a condition in which patients have symptoms such as movement disorders including tremors, dystonia, loss of vision, speech slurred, memory loss and limb weakness/paralysis blackouts also known as dissociative seizures and it has been my mission ever since to come back to the artist I have always been and to use art to raise awareness of my condition and mental health in general. As first sufferers usually don't have a structural cause it is a delay in diagnosis and symptoms progressing leaving patients frustrated hopeless and left behind. Be it physical or mental pain we should stand together with our voices heard and not be afraid of the stigma attached to this or any other mental health condition. I now have to use a walking frame as support as my condition has progressed but I feel as though if we get support mentally and try to create a balance within we can look at the walker frame as a frame of mind to not limit ourselves due to mental health conditions or disabilities. Recently my neuropsychologist sent me the link to this competition and as part of my therapy I decided to enter the competition to try to help others and I trust it will. My message is to keep going and keep moving in body mind and spirit. Thank you
Sarah Naughter
My name is Sarah Naughter I am a fine art sculpture artist from Dublin Ireland I attended the National College of Art and Design with the intention of becoming an art teacher I took time out of my studies for family purposes and unfortunately my health deteriorated rapidly which took me away from who I am and had a huge impact on my mental well being. I woke up one day with vision loss I went to an optician who said I had a central macular haemorrhage and advised me to attend which I did and ended up spending months admitted under investigation by the end of my time in the hospital I was diagnosed with a chronic pain syndrome without any cause I was stuck in pain with no way of return without rewiring my brain. I suffer 24/7 chronic pain which had a devastating impact on my mental health I felt as though I would give up on life on goals opportunities and being a mother. To be stuck in a nightmare of endless pain and learning to accept this new body. So I learned different ways of coping I learned through movement the pain lessoned through destressing and being mindful I lessened my pain. I recently got a diagnosis of functional neurological disorder which is a neuro/psychiatric disorder which is a condition in which patients have symptoms such as movement disorders including tremors, dystonia, loss of vision, speech slurred, memory loss and limb weakness/paralysis blackouts also known as dissociative seizures and it has been my mission ever since to come back to the artist I have always been and to use art to raise awareness of my condition and mental health in general. As first sufferers usually don't have a structural cause it is a delay in diagnosis and symptoms progressing leaving patients frustrated hopeless and left behind. Be it physical or mental pain we should stand together with our voices heard and not be afraid of the stigma attached to this or any other mental health condition. I now have to use a walking frame as support as my condition has progressed but I feel as though if we get support mentally and try to create a balance within we can look at the walker frame as a frame of mind to not limit ourselves due to mental health conditions or disabilities. Recently my neuropsychologist sent me the link to this competition and as part of my therapy I decided to enter the competition to try to help others and I trust it will. My message is to keep going and keep moving in body mind and spirit. Thank you