3/8 — Art saved my life and keeps me alive — Mental Health Through Creativity
Part Three. A prolific yet invisible artist, The Mollusc Dimension reflects on his perilous journeys to find creativity and mental health in a thought-provoking 8-part picture book/essay, “Flying Across the Forbidden Ocean”.
CONTENT NOTES: brief reference to hospitalisation and mental health difficulties.
Last year, I recently came up with the wry joke, “As an East-Asian approaching my fortieth birthday, I only found out that I had feelings — — yesterday!”
My teenage years were an immense struggle. My friends and my parents were at a loss to understand me. I was hospitalised twice. One of these times was the only time I came into contact with a psychologist. I delighted in ignoring her. When I read that the Labour Party’s manifesto for youth last year, and saw that it called for a counsellor in every school, I rejoiced.
Art was escape and it was also my PASSION. It was a medium I felt confident about expressing myself in. My art department at secondary school was incredibly encouraging — even the highly controversial nature of my subject matter and sources drew no comment.
Even the people in my class who didn’t find me that interesting reacted well to my drawings one Christmas and my cartoons of teachers appeared in my school yearbook. In retrospect, I was already seeing how I was using art for communication and to bring joy to people’s lives. It was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
When I was a child, my parents had acted thrilled every time I presented them with hand-made cards. My mum collected them and I have the box. It’s right behind me on the shelf under the A3 paper. It could have been worse. They could have been brutally honest and ridiculed my creations. Instead, I was left feeling confused. Judging by their reactions, I was brilliant at art — so why wouldn’t other people think so?
My parents were avid consumers of art and culture. They enjoyed collecting art objects (souvenir crafts), prints for our walls, watching films, on VHS and later DVD; music scores, vinyl records, audio cassettes and later on, CDs.
So why didn’t they didn’t think that I would be able to make it as an artist?
As an independent DIY artist, I make a point of supporting other independent DIY artists and makers. (As you may know, artists are sometimes referred to as makers). I either think about how I can use their creations as gifts, or when it’s time to get a gift, I try and source it from a maker I want to support. And people who support my work buy my work as gifts.. (For example, you can buy my album here).
In artist Doug Coupland’s comic image about the art world, one character tells another that they’ll “never make a living from art”, only to then ask if they can have their art for free. Non-artists do this very frequently, and it devalues creativity.
If mutually pleasing, showing value for art can also be done with negotiated skills/ goods exchanges.
To see a list of living artists with whom I have collaborated, hired or been commissioned by, please see Section 4 c!
You can help us by supporting your friends, family/ acquaintances who create their own wares/ run small /local businesses!
Next:
4. My parents feared that if I was an artist, this would happen..
There are 8 parts to this picture book/essay:
- Part 1. Flying Across the Forbidden Ocean — An East-Asian Artist’s fight for health through creativity
- Part 2. I’m mostly self-taught as an artist and here’s why
- Part 3. Art saved my life and keeps me alive — Mental Health Through Creativity
- Part 4. My parents feared that if I was an artist, this would happen..
- Part 5. How would a degree in a creative subject help my child to find work?
- Part 6. Society needs artists, musicians, storytellers and teachers as much as doctors and lawyers
- Part 7. Could “ Tiger Mums” be.. a bit Victorian?
- Part 8. If this is a creative destination, what happens next?
If you enjoyed my work, there are a few ways you could show your support and I would really appreciate it!
