Blair’s story in his own words :
Mental Health and Art as a therapy and a way of dealing with depression and anxiety.
Battling depression and social anxiety is a hard topic to talk about, especially as a man, and together with the stigmas that are attached in society, it makes it even harder to recognise that you have a problem. However, recognising that you are suffering is the first step to self healing and then having the courage to ask for help is just as important.
I became aware that I had issues, when my life/work balance started to have an impact on my mood and health. I was becoming withdrawn, quiet and my outwardly spoken/happy persona started to ebb and wain. I had been battling with chest and lung issues off and on for 8 years, since contracting pneumonia which lead to a right full and left partial lung collapse. My mother was battling cancer for the second time in 10 years and work started to become mundane and stressful with the increased work load, and I was losing interest and my attention would often be else where with constantly worrying about myself and my family.
To try and cope and knowing that art is wonderful therapy, I decided it was a great time to apply to do my MA in Fine Art and concentrate on sculpture. In October 2022 I got accepted at the OCA, the course leaders and cohort have been so supportive and it has given me the freedom to express myself through my work and add focus to my art practice. I am researching the relationships between gluttony and capitalism and how as a society, we draw comparisons with our own human physical form and our need to continually feed our desires, within the current political context of the worlds economy. Linking everything through concrete sculptural cake, sculptural human form and life drawings.
My mother’s cancer went into submission for the second time in early 2022, though she came out of hospital with complications. Work became evermore stressful and I began to get chest pains (though I put this down to indigestion, rather than any major issue) by November 2022 with my chest becoming worse and looking like yet another chest infection, together with feeling overwhelmed and constantly tired, I plucked up the courage to go to my doctors. While discussing my effects, symptoms and feelings I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
I have been taking anti depressants since November and been off work since then too, I have just recently started cognitive behavioral therapy as dealing and coping at times has been really tough. My art has helped me stay focused and has inspired me to take risks and push boundaries, producing a series of self nude studies and working with life models as part of my research into gluttony. This has been especially important as my mother passed away a few weeks ago at the end of January 2023.
I can’t underestimate how important family and friends are, as well as the ability to talk through what you are going through, and never stop believing that you have self worth and something to offer, and that people will want to help and give you the support back..
