Be the change

The reason I wanted to participate in this project is about more than helping to reduce stigma. It’s also about hope, and knowing that our lived experience can and will make a difference. We need to BE the change that the current system needs, and we are slowly doing that.

This piece of artwork is something I actually did in a mental hospital admission a couple of years ago that was key to my turning point for recovery. I suddenly realised that the power lies in me to change – the choice was mine. It was a source of great strength to realise I am not a passive spectator to what happens to me. I won’t say I never regressed from that point, and suicidal ideation is still very much something I live with even now. But I am learning to manage my thoughts and be the change I want to see in myself so I can help be the change I want to see in society.