A poet has shared how a community arts and mental health programme has transformed her life and inspired a new love for visual arts.
Maddi Crease has struggled with her mental health since she was a child, and had received inpatient care a number of times as a teenager, as well as treatment in Accident and Emergency departments.
Maddi was also diagnosed with autism and obsessive compulsive disorder.
She said she felt unable to fully engage with the support she received, until her last admission to an inpatient ward at 18.
Maddi, now aged 24, said: “I thought to myself that I needed to do some more things for myself independently as well, and just really put a lot of effort into turning things down a different path.”
She began to feel more empowered to live life the way she wanted to, and being referred to Open Arts when she was 18 gave her a safe space to be herself.
Open Arts is a community arts and mental health programme, which helps to manage mental health and wellbeing through creativity.
It is managed within the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Charity Fund and runs courses, workshops and events. These are led by professional artists and supported by volunteers.
Open Arts supports people with their recovery and develops their confidence, self-esteem and self-identity. It also helps them feel part of their wider community.
Maddi said: “I remember how I was when I started at Open Arts. I was very quiet. I sat in a corner for months. Every time I went and just didn’t speak much to anyone.
“I just had my coffee, did a bit of sketching, that kind of thing.
“Now I do lots of different activities like hosting open mic nights for creative writing and poetry.”
Maddi found a new love for visual arts, completed an access to higher education course and is now in the second year of a fine art degree at the University of Essex.
She makes a lot of art about mental health, her experiences of being autistic, and social issues that have shaped who she is.
Maddi also hosts the Listening Room open mic night at Leigh Community Centre for poets, musicians, comedians and anyone who wants to share their work with live sound. The events raise money for local charities.
In addition, she works for a mental health charity in London as an expert by experience. Her work includes helping to train mental health professionals in how to best support children and young people with their mental health. One of her current projects is making a series of films about crisis services.
Maddi said returning to education, working, and finding things she really enjoys have been “massive factors” in encouraging her recovery.
She also credits the support she received at Open Arts for helping her reach the point where she is now.
She has made close friends and said “everyone is made to feel like they wanted there and that their presence is appreciated.”
Maddi said: “Being creative, but in a really comforting community, has been really good for me.
“I feel like good way to describe it is it’s a safe environment. It’s very non-judgmental and if you need to take time and sit there and just be yourself quietly for a bit, that’s fine.
“So it’s quite flexible for you to do what you need to do and I think that’s probably why I kept going because there wasn’t any pressure on me.”
Maddi encourages anyone who feels it may help to give it a go, even if they don’t feel creative or haven’t drawn a picture since they were at school.
She said: “They’ll find something and you’ll gain so much from being there, not just in gaining creative skills, but you’ll meet amazing people and learn a lot about them and yourself.”
