Posted on April 25, 2014
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in body image, Creative Arts, Depression, Embodiment Arts, Healing Art, Life Modelling, Mental Illness, Self esteem, Wellbeing
*Please note: As of June 2014 I no longer work as a life model or offer private life modelling tuition.* Each time I de-robe to present my body to an artist, I recall why I started life modelling in the first place. I think it’s that first kiss of cool air in places rarely public […]
Posted on April 17, 2014
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in Community, Depression, Mental health Care, Mental Illness, Self esteem
Mindshift – The National Self Esteem Initiative, reminds us that: ‘Our Self Esteem affects almost every aspect of our lives, from how we think about ourselves to the way we think or react to life situations. When negative influences and thoughts are prevalent – generated from either within ourselves or through others – it adversely […]
Posted on February 19, 2014
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in Depression, Healing Art, Mental health Care, Mental Illness, Relationships, Wellbeing
Have you ever felt as though having mental health issues has gotten in the way of romance? It’s certainly been the case for me when my primary focus has been on, as they say, ‘staying well’, while most of my friends were dating and dancing at discos. Once upon a time, the nitty-gritty complexity of […]
Posted on January 13, 2014
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in Creative Arts, Depression, Festivals, Healing Art, Mental health Care, Mental Illness, Sacred Arts, Spoken Word, Video, Wellbeing
<!– On 24th July 2014, I presented at the National Suicide Prevention Conference in Perth, Western Australia about my recovery from attempted suicide. This was a special milestone for me – speaking publicly about my attempt and also proposing steps to recovery that others could integrate into their life. I discuss the role of The Suicide […]
Posted on November 14, 2013
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in Creative Arts, Healing Art, Mental Illness, Spoken Word, Storytelling
When spoken word poet, Jessie Giles, announced that she was leaving Facebook, I hunted her down with a WHY? Here is a passionate poet who always has something of value to say. A beautiful young woman with the unique ability to show up society with the delicacy of a calligraphy pen, JG speaks candidly about […]
Posted on October 17, 2013
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in Creative Arts, Depression, Help, Mental Illness, Self-Harm, Wellbeing
I write about it as though it were a yoga pose, an art form, a gesture of love. I rabbit on about it because it’s always at our disposal and ready to be activated, although, for fear of judgement, we cast it aside. I’m a huge fan of The Asking of the Help. I’d say […]
Posted on July 25, 2013
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in Creative Arts, Depression, Healing Art, Mental Illness, Music, Wellbeing
It was Damen Samuel who said, ‘I think everybody knows on an unconscious level what’s good for them and it’s about bringing that to the forefront of their minds.’ When I asked Damen Samuel about what he thought was good for him, we entered into an unassuming conversation about Depeche Mode, the magic potion of […]
Posted on June 18, 2013
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in Creative Arts, DSM 5, Life Modelling, Mental health Care, Mental Illness, Psychiatry
If there was ever an opportunity for me to disrobe in the name of something other than art, it would be in protest of the latest DSM 5. I doubt I’d be the only one to do so and I’m delighted to read about mental health workers who are actively retaliating. So the DSM 5 […]
Posted on June 3, 2013
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in Dance, Embodiment Arts, Mental Illness, Psychiatry, Sacred Arts, Self-Harm, Women's Mental Health
Hosting a website about depression and not writing about a woman’s menstrual cycle, would be akin to watching TV with the sound off. Moods and hormones are inextricably linked – that’s common knowledge and women’s business. Since all my adult life has been focussed on optimising my mental health, the phases of my reproductive cycle […]