Broken Light Collective

The Broken Light Collective http://brokenlightcollective.com/ is an art project that focuses on mental illnesses and emotional problems. It is a collection of photos by artists who have connections to people with mental illnesses or suffer from them personally, the website's mission statement says:

"Broken Light Collective’s mission is to enhance the lives of people living with or affected by mental illness through the use of therapeutic photography; to provide opportunities to share photographic work in supportive environments both online and through live exhibition; and to raise awareness and fight stigma through art, education, advocacy, and outreach."

I was particularly moved by this collective's ambition, and I felt that it was extremely connected to my own drawing work where I used photography as a form of therapy when I was struggling with my emotions and motivation. There were was one artist in particular who really touched and appealed to me.

Fleur Alston

Fleur Alston is 42 years old, her daughter suffers from anxiety, panic-attacks and extremely low self-esteem due to a period of extreme bullying when she was younger. Fleur's aim with these photographs was to show her daughter how beautiful she was and restore some of her self-confidence.

“This piece of work is entitled ‘Between.’ It is in essence about my daughter’s transition from child to women, the water comes to signify that strange place between. Adolescence can be both a time of wonder and magic but equally despair and crippling self doubt controlled by or tainted by the constraints of peer groups, family and society. The work is concerned with both the vicissitude and quietus of adolescence as well as the anticipation and joy.“