The Painting of My Daughter Pearl To Be in an EXHIBITION! Can't believe it!

When I started painting Lavender Girl, I was thinking about my little girl Venturina. Who might be a thousand kilometres away thinking about her mummy. Wondering when mummy is going to come home. Standing somewhere in her little corner waiting for her mother. Thinking of her mother. Me.

Would you mind coming and sharing with me this first time experience?

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It is taking place at the Humber Royal Hotel, Littlecoates Road, Grimsby DN34 4XL

On the 20th of September 2017

From 9 a.m to 11 a.m.

It is part of the NAVIGO Health and Social Care Annual Meeting

Which is about a celebration of artwork, song and poetry by service users across the country.

So come and enjoy yourself, participate, lay back and immerse yourself with the people who work hard to keep mentally unstable people like me out of hospital, out and about socialising, having fun, training, and getting into employment.

Right now I am working at TUKES Restaurant.

My boss makes working there so much fun. She hums and sings and cracks jokes and you are like "Wow, I am happy I came to work today."

I go to work twice a week. For a few hours. This gives me a routine. Something to look forward to and combat stress.

I read on nhs.co.uk that people in the UK work the longest hours in all of Europe.

That is not what it is like in Cleethorpes and Grimsby.

People open late and close early.

My point is I try to protect myself from stress by managing how many hours I spend at work and whether I love what I do.

Thank you for taking the time to read this advert. 

If you can make it, please come. 

You may or may not meet me but you are guaranteed to see "LAVENDER GIRL"

Title of my art piece.

Alexandra💋

How I Found Myself

www.anysieniyonshuti.blogspot.com

After an upsetting incident, I rushed into my room and started drawing on this cardboard box.
I find that when I am most stressed, I am calmed down by some sort of art form.

When I was in hospital at Harrison House in Grimsby. I found the art classes joyful. I would be in a room with fellow patients and we would laugh and joke and share ideas and thoughts about our drawings.

I like socialising. I enjoy the company of other people.

What I have noticed in the past is that when I am bereft of a social life, I decay.

That means I don't want to eat alone at lunchtime. I don't want to sleep in a house by myself.

And I have been lucky. I  have been blessed with an understanding, supportive and loving mother. Whose done more than a carer can do. Whose raised Venturina from the minute she was born.  She has been there for me and is probably responsible for how well I have coped and is coping in these years.

I am also grateful to work in an environment that considers all that. That understands that I have a long term mental illness and that it is OK.

My mother says that it is an illness like any other. Like heart disease, diabetes, HIV, any illness that means you take medication on a regular basis. And you are alright.