In memory of Ross Chernin - he gave me the tools to help myself and for that I will be forever grateful.
1 in 4 adults and 1 in 10 children will experience a mental health problem in a given year. In any given week 1 in 10 adults are suffering with depression. With such statistics it's hard to believe that we all talk so little about mental health and that there is still such stigma surrounding it.
It's time to stand up tall and let everyone know that I've had issues with my mental health and it's nothing to be ashamed of. This year, on World Mental Health Day, I am doing this by painting golden cracks on my face to imitate the Japanse art of Kintsugi.
Kintsugi, roughly translated as 'golden joinery', is a Zen tradition of repairing broken ceramics with a gold infused lacquer. It is a practice filled with respect for the item, rather than trying to hide the cracks, the gold lacquer makes a strong join while celebrating the damage endured along the way. In this way I want to proudly show that despite the many times that my mental health difficulties have broken me, I have taken great care to put myself back together again but that I also carry the history of those experiences with me and they are a part of who I am and make me, as a person, stronger and more beautiful than before.
By painting gold cracks on my skin I am showing others that I have experienced mental illness and also making the statement that I am not ashamed of it, I want to display it for all to see because it is a part of my history and a part of me. I want to let others know that they are not alone.
I hope that if this idea spreads well then we might be able to start showing each other that yes, I have experienced mental health issues too. You don't have to say anything more about it, but if you did want to, then it would be the perfect opportunity to start more open conversations about mental health and what we are all going through. I hope that one World Mental Health day in the future someone who is suffering from their own difficulties might open their Facebook feed and after seeing how many friends are wearing golden cracks that day, realise that they're not alone. I truly hope this encourages them to reach out.
For me, ACT is my gold infused lacquer, helping me join the pieces back together, stronger and more resilient than before and this blog is my way of showing off the beauty of those gold cracks to the world. Whatever tools you use to help you manage your illness I hope you will want to join in with me today and on future WMH days.
Please post your photos on the KUTA Facebook page and pass the idea on to your friends. If you have joined me today or in the future, then my heartfelt thanks. Before you go, please take a moment to look at some fundamental facts from the Mental Health Foundation in the slides below.
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