I have been trying to reproduce the newspaper article that ran in my local paper - but my limited computer skills are not up to the job. I found this just now though - it is the same wording as the article, but without the massive photo that went alongside... I did not write the article myself (hence the term 'Dorset born' when I was actually born in London) but I was asked for suggestions and did manage to insert the term 'emotional distress' instead of 'mental illness' in a couple of places.
We had our first group meeting this afternoon - it went well (I certainly enjoyed it) although we chatted much more than we wrote - I am going to get a grip on that next time.
Onwards and upwards (I've cheered up a bit now).... Here's the link to the article:
http://www.rethink.org/how_we_can_help/news_and_media/local_press_releases/new_writing_group_la.html
And here's some more (optional) reading - a well-argued case for reform of the mental health law (thanks to @sectioned on Twitter): http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/how-mental-health-law-discriminates-unfairly-against-people-with-mental-illness
Louise, this is an excellent initiative. Well done. So many people with these labels are dormant writers, I believe (and poets, musicians, and artists.)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rossa. I saw something on Facebook last night that annoyed me - somebody had said that there is a lot of competition amoung artists, writers etc - everybody thinks they can do it - but that fortunately not many of them are sane. In fact, I think writing can be a useful way to stay sane...And as the lovely Raymond Briggs wrote to me, so many of the really great artists are considered 'mad' - he listed them, and the list included Virginia Woolf and James Joyce. Why do people have to judge other people anyway? I suppose to make themselves feel better. Anyway, thanks again. I will let everyone know how the group progresses.
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