Being Brave Matters

IN MARCH 2020 THE UK WENT INTO A NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN, THE EFFECTS BEING FELT BY MANY.

TWO MONTHS IN, DURING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK, I RELEASED IMAGES FROM A PROJECT I’D BEEN WORKING ON ‘BEING BRAVE MATTERS’ TO HELP GIVE PEOPLE A VOICE, A WAY TO TELL THE WORLD THAT ALTHOUGH YOU CAN’T SEE IT, HEAR IT, OR EVEN TRY TO EXPLAIN IT, MENTAL ILLNESS EXISTS AND IT’S HARD TO LIVE WITH.

THE FOCUS FOR 2020 WAS KINDNESS AND I’M SURE YOU’LL AGREE, RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW IN A WORLD WHERE WE CAN BE ANYTHING…

BE KIND

For each image I asked the models to write down words to describe how they feel when dealing with their own mental health challenges and what thoughts come to mind looking back at themselves.

These words follow on from each image shown, they help portray the different battles people face on a daily basis from this unseen illness

All words and quotes are models own

I felt alone, no one was kind’
⠀⠀
“This is my story of battling with my mental health. It all began because of the lack of kindness and nasty comments.

I found myself feeling very alone with no self confidence. Endless nights of crying and not sleeping because i hated myself.

I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone and this is why i urge people to be kind to themselves and others around them. You don’t know what people are facing and feeling behind their fake smile!

Mental health is so so important and so please everyone learn to love yourself and know that you are good enough!”

‘it’s difficult to care about myself when I care about everything else so much, but not at all’

‘I feel cold even when I’m too hot
I feel empty even when I eat
I feel tired even when I sleep
I feel drowned even when I breath
I feel sad even when I should feel happy’

‘waking up can be difficult
moving from the comfort of my own safe place.
Once I do wake up it can get tiring quickly
but it is worth it to experience life’

‘Sometimes I think being sad all the time would be better.

The real struggle is the roller coaster experience of feeling great one day and then lifeless and depressed the next for what seems like no obvious reason. ⠀⠀

Sad all the time would be nice, I could get used to that.

Repeatedly climbing back up only to fall again is endless torture’