“I began to pace around the studio, trembling, desperate for the meds to start working before I had a full-on meltdown. By now there was no hiding it from my colleagues…
‘Are you ok?’”
The rate of depression and anxiety in the creative industry is approximately three times higher than the national average*. Faced with long hours, looming deadlines and daily exposure to criticism our working world often takes its toll on our mental health. Overwhelmed and without support, we are losing valuable voices in the creative community to illness. As pressures mount in the wider world and the demand on the NHS sores, any one of us could find ourselves struggling to cope with no access to the help we need.
So, how can you help?
This Mental Health Day we’re asking you to stand with designers and donate to Create Space Visual Design, a studio championing mental health support in the creative industry.
Who are Create Space?
Create Space is a studio within Blackfriars Settlement, a 130-year-old charity providing vital services for the local community. Hiring designers who experience mental health challenges, we offer a unique opportunity to receive clinical support whilst gaining professional work experience, attracting clients such as Southwark Council, J&K Group and the NHS.
Whilst we all know the industry itself can be stressful, creative practice has been proven time and time again to improve our emotional well-being. Through creativity, we can lessen feelings of depression and isolation, promote a positive mindset and even improve our immune system!
"Being in the studio working on designs gives me and the rest of the design team respite from mental health problems, it gives us something else to focus on"
At Create Space the design work provides purpose, offering relief from symptoms of mental illness and a chance to grow in confidence and ability. What’s more, our project fees contribute to the funding of Blackfriars’ Mental Health & Wellbeing services, which are not only accessible to our designers but to the community as a whole.
In the face of a cost of living crisis in post-pandemic Britain, Create Space is needed now more than ever. We’re asking for your donation, however big or small, so we can continue our vital work helping designers receive the support they need.
Where will your donation go?
Your donation will allow Create Space to hire our first manager, someone to run the studio, oversee projects and mentor staff. Any extra funds will go towards new equipment, opening doors for more ambitious projects and a bigger team.
In the long term, we’d love to take the Create Space model to our schools and universities. How many creative voices are we losing before they even reach the working world? We want to step in before it’s too late, giving vulnerable students the help they need to achieve their creative ambitions.
Your donations can ensure our future and guarantee designers at all levels vital access to mental health services for years to come.
Do you get anything in return?
Yes! At Create Space we understand that, whoever you are, we can all benefit from a little wellbeing support. To thank you for your generous donation we’ve lined up some great rewards guaranteed to boost your mood.
* (“Why Creative People Are More Prone to Depression” Deborah Stone, Arts Hub)