Hello! Welcome to THINK MAKE PLAY CREATE: a brand new space to explore and discuss the positive impact of creativity on mental health and our ability to communicate about it.

My name’s Elly and I will – to begin with, at least – be your tour guide around here. I’ve spent the last decade working as a professional photographer / designer / musician, and nearly two decades now using creative methods to help me make sense of (and articulate the state of) my brain throughout some decidedly challenging points in my life.

On the days I’m not able to find the words to describe how I’m feeling, or when my head is full of fog and proving hard to navigate or focus through, the ability to express myself using alternative means (for me, usually musical) or to slow down and look at the world a little differently (finding beauty and wonder in the strangest and smallest of places) proved to be an absolute game changer – and something which could be both learned and taught to / shared with others.

I feel I should perhaps, at this point, give you a little extra background into one of the reasons why this has become quite so important to me. The woman carrying the small blonde koala-child (hi!) in the photo above was my lovely Mum. She had the biggest heart and the best smile and spent her life wanting to help people as best she could. As it turns out, she also struggled with mental illness far more than she ever let on and (CW: bereavement) in September 2016, she took her own life. I didn’t see it coming, and I miss her more than I’m currently capable of putting into words. I’m creating this space in her memory, and hoping with all that I have that it does even a little towards helping folk as much as she did.

I’ll be sharing some of my own story and associated creative output with you here, setting a few challenges to get your creative minds fired up, and hopefully teaching you a few of the tricks and tools that have helped me so much over the years…

…but it mustn’t just be my voice here. I know what my personal experience of mental ill health (as a white, female, cisgender, non-disabled, generally pretty privileged person) has been and is, but it is so, so important – especially in such strange and divided times – that we learn about experiences outside of our bubble, that we listen to and support and hold space for each other.

And that’s where you come in!

I want this project to be as diverse and as intersectional as we can possibly make it. I’ll be actively looking out for lots of brilliant folk to feature, but I could really use your help finding them too!

So, if you use creativity as a means to aid your mental well-being; if you work in art or music therapy or the mental health field in general; or maybe if you just happen to have a person or project or charity in mind you’d particularly like to see featured on the blog – I’d love to hear from you. As well as featuring guest blogs (submission guidelines here), I’d love to photograph and interview a few folk for this too. Drop me a DM or email me at thinkmakeplaycreate@gmail.com to get involved!

Opening up the conversation around mental health is something very close to my heart. It’s incredibly important to me that you feel supported and represented here and that the content is made as accessible as possible, so I’d really appreciate any feedback you have as this project develops and evolves over time.

Check back soon for the first challenge blog!

Until then, thank you for visiting – I can’t wait to get this all going properly.

Lots of love,

E x

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If you’re struggling with anything at the moment, or if you’ve been affected by anything discussed in this blog: please be sure to talk to someone about it and please, please don’t battle through on your own. Check out The Blurt Foundation and Mind UK for some brilliant online resources and, should you need it, The CALM Zone and Samaritans both offer a free, confidential listening and support service.