I’d like to share my story and what makes my art and my work so special to me and bring to your attention the challenge that I, and many others, face every day.

It’s a story I have felt like sharing for a long time, but have never found the words. Now, due to many factors, and encouragement from others, I feel the time is right.

I have always believed art and design is not just about creating a pretty picture. Rather it’s about expressing something personal and internal that relates to my experience of the world around me. Since being diagnosed as a sufferer of bipolar and mild cerebral palsy, art and design has given me the opportunity to channel my feelings out of my mind and onto the confines of a canvas or page.

For me it’s liberating and powerful therapy since it gives me the opportunity to cleanse myself of the pain and suffering I often endure. The art becomes an extension of my emotions, while at the same time giving me the opportunity to reach out to the world around me and bring to its attention the challenge many mental illness sufferers face day to day.

I have always enjoyed creating imagery that evokes a reaction in the viewer. To me, the ability to create a work that stirs the inner workings of a person and reaches deep into their emotional whirlpool is much more important than creating an image that people find purely aesthetically beautiful. My work is not beautiful, it’s intense and is a personal experience that I hope translates to the viewer. I want them to feel what I feel, and experience the world in a different set of shoes.

Earlier this year, my efforts were rewarded by being short listed for the Collie Print Trust Award in Melbourne at the AGIdeas International Design Conference. My work was displayed at the Melbourne Museum for a month. For a short period of time I was able to reach a wide audience and have the impact I intended. People were finally getting to see what it feels like to confront each day with a level of anxiety.

I still want to share my work with others, and hope it gives them an insight into how painful and powerful the emotions are when you suffer from bipolar and anxiety.

It’s a condition I have found very difficult to live with, and has also had a profound effect on the lives of those around me. I will continue creating works that make people think, and question the world around them.

Please visit my website www.grinagallery.com  Take the opportunity to learn about mental illness and how it affects all of us. The solution to removing the stigma of mental illness is to talk about it with people and to care about those around us.

beyondblue.org.au aims to provide clear and comprehensive information about bipolar disorder. The website takes you step-by-step through the symptoms, how to recognise bipolar disorder, how to help someone, risk factors, treatments and how to stay well.

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