C.M
United Kingdom
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 several 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.
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.
