In September 2023, I entered the last stretch of my master's program in Arts Practice for Health and Wellbeing at the University of South Wales in Cardiff. While I plan to share more about my academic journey in another post, I'm excited to dive into a recent and meaningful project called SEEN (Shared Experiences through Expressed Narratives).

SEEN focuses on using artistic storytelling as a transformative tool for individuals with pituitary conditions, aiming to express personal experiences, promote understanding of the condition, and cultivate resilience in the face of health challenges.

This project is particularly special to me as it reflects my own experience. In 2021, after a decade of consultations and tests, I was diagnosed with a prolactinoma—a benign tumor in the pituitary gland causing hormone imbalances and various health issues.

The diagnosis was strangely relieving after a long and confusing journey. While it answered many questions, it also introduced new challenges. Learning to live with this lifelong disease proved to be a tough journey. However, I discovered that art could be a powerful tool for expressing, learning, and understanding my story, ultimately sharing it with others.

Before this, art was solely a commercial pursuit for me, but now it played a crucial role in supporting my emotional wellbeing, influencing my physical health. Fast forward two years, and I'm exploring this connection at university for my project. The idea of sharing the experience of artistic storytelling with others became a constant thought.

To visually share my story, I created an explosion scrapbook—a box representing a pituitary tumor. Dark, small, and hidden, it mirrored the condition's complexity, revealing layers of the journey, some highlighting challenging moments and others showcasing positive aspects.

The response from others was encouraging. People were genuinely curious about my condition, providing a space where I felt heard and seen. Recounting old moments didn't feel burdensome; instead, using powerful images and metaphors made the experience empowering. I decided to extend this project to an online support group, inviting individuals with the same condition to create their own boxes and share their unique stories.

Two incredible women eagerly joined the journey, and over the past month, I've had the privilege of working closely with these two individuals. Together we have began the journey of visually narrating our unique stories through four sessions I have established which seek to work as small guides to help prompt them tell their stories. We are currently half way through the project and already the collaboration has been an enriching experience. It's allowing us to delve into the depth of our personal narratives and express them through the powerful medium of artistic storytelling.

As we progress each week, it's inspiring to witness how this project is not only providing a platform for self-expression but also fostering a sense of community among individuals facing similar challenges.

I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of sharing more of this experience with all of you in the coming weeks. I look forward to detailing each session, showcasing the creative process, and revealing the outcomes we've produced together. It's a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the power of artistic expression, and I'm eager to share our stories with the world. Stay tuned for more updates on this meaningful project!

Art work by Becky Adams | www.beckyadams.co.uk

When starting this project I knew I always wanted to share my story in a different way, not just in a regular book with a clear beginning, middle, and end. My story is complex and doesn't follow a perfect structure because it's about a lifelong disease that doesn't always make sense. Its a story that is forever evolving and on days can present struggles and other days have really precious moments. 

To find inspiration for a unique way to tell my story visually, I turned to the classic Pinterest. I came across textile artist Becky Adams (Seen in the images to the left) , who uses various methods to showcase her stories, like matchboxes or small pocket watches. I liked the idea of a small box that may not seem significant at first but opens up to reveal many layers. This concept resonated with my condition, a pituitary tumor, which is pea sized and often goes unnoticed. Although it's a small and hidden it can cause so many problems within the body & in my general, everyday life. (I'll talk more and go into depth about the pituitary gland and condition again).

I initially tried the matchbox idea, but it didn't fully capture the essence of my condition – drawing attention, raising curiosity, and creating awareness. It needed to be bigger.

After reconsidering and exploring different options, I found some images that inspired me (See on the left).
I still really liked the concept of a box or book expanding with many layers, revealing more as you turn each page. The idea of it not being perfectly ordered or aligned intrigued me, creating curiosity for people to want to explore further. I preferred the idea of a bigger box than a matchbox because it can't be easily missed which is the whole purpose of what I am trying to do is allow this condition to be seen more clearly, and the layers can fold into each other, not in separate small boxes.

That's when I started exploring this concept and got myself an explosion box from Hobbycraft. You may have seen the first box in the initial blog post, showcasing my collage exploration. While I enjoyed working with collage, I knew I wanted a theme and concept throughout—one that showcased both the challenging and precious moments in this journey.

I wanted the tough moments to be plain and basic & the joyful and hopeful moments to be illuminated.

In my next blog I'll explain about what methods I used and why.

Art work by papercraftermagazine.co.uk

Art is not just a passion for me; it's a powerful tool that has played a crucial role in my journey toward better health and wellbeing. Recognising that art may not resonate with everyone in the same way, I've come to appreciate the diverse outlets people find comfort in, whether through words, poetry, music, or physical movement. Despite these differences, the benefits of engaging in creative expression are universal. I firmly believe that stepping out of one's comfort zone to try something new, even just once, can be immensely rewarding. So - why not give it a try? You can always chose to withdraw at any point!

Understanding that participants in my workshops might not initially feel confident exploring unfamiliar artistic territory, especially if art isn't their primary interest, I made deliberate choices in selecting methods that are easy, enjoyable, and liberating. My aim was to provide approaches that could be effortlessly guided yet allow for advancement should participants wish to delve deeper into their creative journey.

Drawing from my experience in the arts and health sector, collage emerged as a natural choice. Collage not only offers incredible therapeutic benefits, but it's also highly inclusive, catering to individuals of all ages and abilities. However, faced with the challenge of conducting workshops exclusively online, I sought alternatives to traditional collage materials like magazines, which wouldn't effectively capture the diverse narratives of participants. So, I revisited my illustration background, drawing inspiration from my days at Carmarthen School of Art.

Having graduated with a degree in illustration and graphics, I reflected on my desire for digitally creating images, particularly in black outlines. Despite experiencing bouts of perfectionism and the pressures of commercial art, I rediscovered my love for this medium and sought to approach it from a fresh perspective. With this in mind, I curated four distinct methods to explore: zine books, ink illustrations, styrofoam prints, and silver foil embossing.

Zine Books:

These are little books you make by folding paper. They're a mix of old-school and new ways of telling stories. They're small, so you can focus on just a bit of your story at a time. They're not perfect, which takes the pressure off for folks who don't feel like artists.

Ink Illustrations:

Drawing with ink can be messy, but that's part of the fun! It's not about being perfect; it's about enjoying the process. I wanted to show participants that it's okay if things don't go exactly as planned. Sometimes, the mistakes can make your art even better!

Styrofoam Prints:

I wanted to keep things simple, so I tried printing with styrofoam instead of fancy tools. It's easy, even for beginners. You can trace images onto the foam if you're not confident in drawing. It's all about having fun and not worrying too much about making things look perfect.

Silver Foil Embossing:

I wanted something that would make your art stand out, so I tried embossing silver foil. It's a bit fancy, but it's not hard to do. You can trace images onto the foil if you're not sure what to draw. It's all about adding a bit of sparkle to your story!

Overall, my selection of methods was guided by a desire to foster a supportive and inclusive environment where participants could explore their creativity freely. By prioritising ease of use, enjoyment, and meaningful expression, I aimed to empower individuals to embrace the transformative potential of art in their journey toward improved wellbeing.