...and OUR FAVOURITE PLACE
For the fourth instalment of blog postings by artists with rich lived experience of different but connected natures, todays is by Danielle Chappell Aspinwall, who is a Fine Art and Social Practitioner, with these two roles interconnecting through people, place, nature and wellbeing. Originally from Blackpool, and now living in Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, her socially engaged practice explores being neurodivergent as something that positively influences her art practice. She uses reflective approaches such as dialogue, fun, doodles and play to explore her own identity, resulting in creative conversational pieces and interventions that she also shares through educational activities. Danielle has provided us with links to three short films. Check out her website HERE.
HATS OFF, RUN FREE, OUR FAVOURITE PLACE
Danielle’s fun interventions encourage conversation around mental health and her own creative neurodivergent motherhood journey. Respecting nature and hoping to inspire landfill reduction, she aims to lift spirits and help people feel connected. This series of three films presents a journey to recovery from post-natal depression through placemaking, child-led play, art, and nature…Rebirthing identity through grounding in mother nature: fun, creative, play and memory. Hats Off, Run Free is a celebration, a liberation through determination that demonstrates that being a mother and a practising artist can work harmoniously if you find a way to work with and around children. The artwork’s title is inspired by a quote from eco-feminist Betsy Damon.
Hats Off, Run Free, Our Favourite Place charts Danielle’s journey through motherhood, post-natal depression and the experience of being neurodivergent. Many people experience a loss of identity after motherhood, that is difficult to regain without the support of loved ones — support that is made more distant in pandemic living conditions. The piece pushes for an appreciation of the here and now, an approach that can break the isolating spell of lockdown living.
In the face of mass isolation, Danielle looks to new places and quiet outdoor havens in which to rest and heal. Through this process, she finds ways to overcome the loss of confidence and alienation that come with depression, and move towards a re-embracing of joy, freedom, and the capacity to make new memories.
See the film exhibition website HERE, or click on any of the above films. My biggest thanks to Danielle and to Sue Flowers, Shanali Perera and Ruth Flanagan for sharing their unique lived experiences these last few weeks. I'm sure that their stories will inevitably resonate with many of us.
from arts, health & social change https://ift.tt/2ZPNig6 HATS OFF, RUN FREE…Healthy Research
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