"Doing the course really helped my confidence."
07 February 2025
Why did you decide to take part?
I have fibromyalgia and saw the programme advertised in an email group. Photography is something I’m interested in, and having long term pain and being at home all the time, I thought, from a mental health perspective, I need something to get me out of the house and around other people. What also drew me to it was knowing there would be other people with the same or similar medical conditions who I could talk to, to share and hear what helps them.
What were the benefits of the course for you?
I’ve been signed off sick from work for quite a while now and it was nice to have a group to go to once a week, to get away from my everyday life. It was very therapeutic. Not just the photography aspect, but the talking aspect as well. You’re spending time with others who understand.
I’ve also been dabbling in photography for ages, but I put it on the back burner because I wasn’t feeling confident. Doing the course really helped my confidence and pushed me forward. Both Eve and Jon really understood where I was coming from and where I wanted to go, and helped to motivate me.
What would you say to someone in a similar position to you before the course?
The course helps you to be able to communicate with other people going through similar situations, and sharing what you’re going through may help someone else.
It’s easy to be cocooned in your mind and environment, but having the courage to step out is the beginning of what the world has to offer. You don’t really know your own strength until you’re in a position where you have to be strong. So, putting yourself in a group where there are other people, you have to be strong because it takes courage to hop on a bus or hop in a taxi and go out. That in itself is a big thing.
What are you going to do with the momentum you’ve gained from the course?
Eve shared an Open Call with me from the Photojournalism Hub and I put forward some of my photographs for their exhibition. I was accepted and they even used my photo to advertise the exhibition. I received really positive feedback, so now I’m really pushing forward with building my own portfolio so I can have my own exhibitions in the future.
It was really nice to be in and amongst other photographers. Sometimes you don’t see your own value until someone else highlights it to you. And being sick, I guess I allowed my sickness to take hold. Going on the course was a real eye opener for me, but also that push I needed to get out of myself, go out into the world and feel that I belong because, for a long time, I felt as if I didn’t belong anywhere.
I want to say thank you. Thank you for running these courses, because you don’t realise the impact it has on someone who might take it up. Having groups like these really help, because when you’re alone, you feel as if there’s nothing out there for you. Please continue offering these courses and reaching out because it’s vital for people’s mental health, not just their physical health.
