Mental Health awareness week

May 11th - May 17th 2026 I created 4 images and a small poem for mental health awareness week. the images reflect some mental health issues I struggle with personally.

I’m a very lucky and fortunate person with great family and friends, so this is in no way meant as anything but me trying to contribute to the conversation around mental health.

Mental health can still be a taboo subject, and it shouldn’t be. Everyone struggles sometimes and thats okay! We should all seek help if needed, and not be afraid to speak out if we aren’t doing okay! 

Poem:

Everyone is staring, 

I want to shrink so small.

My health can get me down sometimes, 

and I deserve it all.

No one really wants me here,

I’m ugly and I’m weird.

That thing I said 12 years ago,

Still fills me with dread and fear

Everyone is staring, I want to shrink so small

My health can get me down sometimes, and I deserve it all

No one really wants me here, I'm ugly and I'm weird

That thing I said 12 years ago still fills me with dread and fear

Image descriptions: 

All of the images have a black and purple colour scheme. There is black drippy looking patterns in all images, to represent feeling off or unwell

First image goes with the first part of the poem ‘no one really wants me here, I want to shrink so small.’ - I have drawn myself near the bottom of the image, and there are several people looking at me. The image is supposed to feel crowded and closed in. 

Second image goes with the second part of the poem ‘my health can get me down sometimes, and I deserve it all’ - I’ve drawn myself sitting on a bed hunched forward, looking fed up with medication to my side. Theres a black wiggly pattern coming from me to represent me feeling unwell or being in pain.

Third image goes with the third part of the poem ‘no one really wants me here, I’m ugly and I’m weird’ - There are brightly coloured, golden beautiful women above me, and I’m in the bottom part of the image, looking distorted and strange. 

The fourth image goes with the fourth part of the poem, which says ‘That thing I said 12 years ago still fills me with dread and fear’ - I’ve drawn myself sitting at a table, arms folded looking into the abyss, looking troubled, nervous and worried.