Autumn 2023 I couldn't leave the house, I couldn't get to work, I was completely burnt out and spiralling down quickly. My mental health and wellbeing had hit an all time low and my brain had made me recognise it and accept there was an issue, something had to change.  I vividly remember those weeks, I sat at home with the dog, I got my sketch book out and sat there all day pouring out into the sketch book whilst watching art documentaries and TV.  I started counselling and pulled my life apart and started to concentrate on me, what makes me tick, what makes me happy. I decided to turn this into a positive, into a fresh start and to concentrate on what means the most to me. I quit my job, I made decisions on my lifestyle and decided to do something new, obviously this was going to involve art. 

Just like that, overnight, I was a full time artist. The plan was to build on my portfolio, increase selling at craft fairs and work on my online presence. I was selling some artwork but not enough to live on, there was scope to make this happen though and suddenly I had some focus. Two months later I was opening an art gallery with a new studio for me to work in out the back.

My art is me visualising my mental health issues, the dark parts. I named them and took control of them. I was visualising these emotions and feelings controlling my brain and putting them to paper or canvas. People began to connect with them, people who had been through or were going through similar issues. A child once pointed at a painting of mine and said to his mum that's how I feel when I get bullied. This caused a spark in my brain. It was purpose, it was also an ability to help people. I could do what I love doing which is great for my own wellbeing and potentially help other people and start conversations. 

I began to play with colour in my work to help portray feeling, this knocked on to creating paintings with hope, paintings that represented transformation. That is where I am now. My art represents feeling, emotion and enables people to start talking or to explain how they feel. Some creates hope, just looking at a painting daily can give strength to keep going, to change things up. However, we can't be happy all the time, there is a dark undertone. We live in an age where everyone is sharing their lives publicly but its not true, its a glamourised version of their lives and we try to emulate and be lie that. My art hopefully makes you feel like you don't need to be like that, its ok to feel down and that most people probably feel just like you.