The pandemic has had many of us turning to new and familiar past times, as we consider what to do with all the time that we have spare- the time that we’d usually spend going out, seeing friends or travelling. While it sometimes seems that we’re just filling the gaps until the madness is all over, I wonder if there is anything we can learn from these changes. I myself have turned to reading. I was a massive bookworm as a teenager and my University degree mostly revolved around literature, so reading novels wasn’t exactly new to me. However, it was an activity that I’d lost since leaving University because I had been tied down by a fresh career and by the need to be sociable with friends and go out as much as possible. But there I was in Spring 2020: off work, bored and looking to make the most of my tiny but sunny garden. Being cooped up inside wasn’t something that I enjoyed, and I couldn’t always amass the energy to go walking all day. On my book shelf I saw I had Du Maurier’s Rebecca and the latter half of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair to complete- books I’d been given for previous birthdays and Christmases but had tossed aside during my busy life. Sitting tranquilly outside and enjoying the quiet felt very unfamiliar; but once I got used to it, it gave me a feeling of peace and harmony that I had been lacking. I wondered how many other people must be sat silently reading like me or regaining a hobby that they’d lost before lockdown. I wondered if reading fiction was only a temporary sanctuary; but I hoped that it would continue past the pandemic. The whirlwind suspense of Rebecca and the comical and satirical tone of Vanity Fair’s narrator were great sources of distraction to me and I felt transported somewhere else. But it was when I read Gale’s work that I realised that reading fiction in a pandemic isn’t a mere evasion. Take Nothing with You is about a young cellist entering the music world and discovering himself through his artistic experiences. I am a cellist myself and used to play in all kinds of ensembles, so this book brought back a lot of memories for me. Reading about the orchestra residentials, master classes and instrument shopping made me think of many moments in my past that I’d enjoyed but forgotten over the years. At first, I felt a sad kind of nostalgia but then it made me consider what was important to me, what really made me happy and what I wanted to get out of life once the pandemic was over. As the weather takes a turn, you may find me wrapped up by the fire reading a Christmas novel as I try to get my myself in the mood for the festive season. I am hoping to broaden my horizons beyond the novel and take a look at some poetry or theatre. There remains a heap of discarded books in my bedroom and, now that I am glad to have regained a lost hobby, I look forward to opening these up. I used to think of literature as a creative depiction of the outside world and a revelation of who people really are and how they behave. At the start of lockdown, I saw it as a means of escape. At present, I understand literature to be an opportunity for self-reflection. I suppose not just literature, but the act of reading itself and as artists, I think it is a pleasure to discover books that make us think about our experiences within the arts. The interlocutor of Rebecca finishes the novel by telling us that she will learn from her negative experiences as a shy young person to become a more confident and resilient person. Like many of us, I had a difficult 2020 and, when I think about this book, it gives me a feeling of hope. Patrick studied French at Oxford, having graduated last year, and is a big supporter of the Arts. He is a keen cellist, theatre goer, and volunteers at a museum in his spare time. He is one of our amazing team of volunteers, working as an Arts Administrator and PA to the CTO .
Tag: mental health
You don’t need me to tell you that the period we are living in right now is pretty unusual. No matter what industry you’re coming from or the job that you do (whether it’s creative or not), the job market is a stressful place to be wading through. Throughout lockdown, I have been working as a freelance writer and content creator. I’m very lucky in that, although I am a creative freelancer, I work as a writer – so the cancellations that have impacted countless other creative industries have not restricted my work. However, I do have some sense of the difficulties that lockdown has imposed on my age group generally, and any other individuals who are working in the same field as me. It is my hope that this piece will resonate with other freelancers out there, who might be facing the same stresses and challenges as I have been. Just as a little bit of background info for you, I graduated back in 2019. I technically still class myself as a post-grad (don’t think I’ll be able to get away with saying that for much longer though). I got a job as an in-house writer for a creative agency, and I was there for almost a year before I moved back home to write on a freelance basis. This, completely coincidentally, came hand in hand with the start of lockdown. So, during the pandemic, I’ve been building my freelancing career. The surreal thing about freelancing during the lockdown is the fact that, not to be too unprofessional in admitting this, but you’re essentially sat typing away in your joggers all day. In some senses, that’s the brilliant thing about it. Plus, I love to be kept busy (but I can’t sew, so I’m not really made for lockdown’s conventional hobbies). For me, it’s been great to be able to throw myself into my work during this period. On a day-to-day basis, I find the job’s successes, new contracts coming in and receiving praise from employers to all be fantastic plus points of the job. I’m incredibly lucky to be in a position where I can pick and choose the types of work that I take on, and I’m so grateful to be able to say that I truly love what I do. However, the negative side of working completely on your own is the isolation of it all. Sometimes, you can be left with the unnerving feeling that your work doesn’t really exist. It’s a hard sensation to explain. But, with a lot of the ‘ghost writing’ projects that I do, you essentially write a thing, send it off and then never see it again. Working on a screen all day, then sending quickly-written work to people that you’ve never met and then it’s gone forever – it’s rather surreal at times. If you are self-employed, self-motivation, organization and self-management are always tricky matters. But (at the risk of sounding like I’m sitting on my high horse), these skills can be especially tricky to master if the work that you’re doing is creative. You’re bound to have an off day here and there, and sometimes, there’s nothing that you can do about that. When you’re working on creative pieces, an off spell might mean that the work that you do on that entire day is pretty rubbish. And that’s part and parcel of the deal. But over lockdown (where, let’s face it, we’ve got nothing else going on), that can really get to you. It’s all too easy to start really beating yourself up about your skills. One of the other most common problems with working as a creative freelancer is being underpaid. All too often, potential clients undervalue our skill set, because it’s seen to be something that ‘anyone can do’. There are so, so many writers out there, and businesses looking for someone to hire know that. I worked with an American client for about a month, and they were paying me $6 per 500 words of my writing, and I would write as much as 20,000 words for them a week. It was hard being paid very little for a lot of work, and then churning out so many words can leave you feeling very demoralising at times. This can certainly lead to self-confidence knocks. With hindsight on my side, if I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be that it is so important to stick to a fair rate and that, if it means losing the odd job here and there, so be it. In order to break this cycle of underpayments, we need to respect each other as a creative community and stick to our rates, so that no one else is being inadvertently undercut, or forced to drop their rates to compete with ours. I want to end by absolutely stressing that, all things considered, working as a creative is incredibly rewarding. Being able to write all day long is the most wonderful, fullfilling job. As with any creative career, managing your mental health is a routine that you need to spend a bit of time learning to perfect. It is a skill in-and-of-itself, and one that it is absolutely imperative that we take seriously. The support that BE-EXTRA provides as a community has been invaluable to me. Time and time again, Katherine has pulled me out of a little rut, or provided me with fantastic advice (particualry guidance r.e. Twitter!). I cannot overstate the importance of feeling as though you’re part of a creative community. Independent work can feel so isolating at times, and it’s been fantastic to feel as though I am within of a hub of like-minded creatives, going through exactly the same things. Overall, if you take one thing from me and my little ramble, it would be that one of the main areas of growth that you will face when you start out on a self-governed creative career is working to bolster
The countdown to the end of 2020 begins. It’s safe to say that all of us eagerly await its end, but it’s important not to forget the positives of this whirlwind of a year. Here at Be Extra, our silver lining has been our new teammates. Driven, talented, and caring, they all share our beliefs of providing for the arts communities and nurturing each other’s wellbeing. Current pandemic aside, we know that the arts industry puts high stressors on its individuals and demands a considerable amount of self-sacrifice. We share your concerns, and we want to help. Over the past couple of months, we’ve been dedicating as much time as possible conceptualising new ideas and events to cover as much ground over wellbeing as we can. We are creating new online courses, sharing Wellbeing Live weekly, and providing a digital community for you to feel safe and supported. So, we thought that we would take the time to get to know our new recruits a little better so that you can too. Over the next couple of weeks we’re going to introduce each member of Be Extra to you; share their quirks and their experience. We want you to know the team who wants to support you and share in your experiences. So, let’s start by meeting our Social Media and Marketing team. Marketing and PR Katie-Jayne Originally from the Forest of Dean, Katie-Jayne loves cooking and her speciality is cheesecakes, but don’t ask her to include fruit – she only likes fruit in her smoothies. Katie-Jayne volunteers at a cat rescue centre in her spare time and is a sucker for a good crime documentary. After placing third in the UK for the Pitch at the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s excellence awards, Katie-Jayne is a one-to-watch in the world of Marketing. Nicole Bridgend-born and Bristol-based, Nicole’s background in the arts began with drawing. After spending three years in Spain, Nicole moved back to the UK to study a Masters in Curating to marry her love of sharing and celebrating creativity with storytelling and engaging audiences. She has swum in the Dead Sea but rest-assured, Nicole’s career is alive and kicking and we’re ecstatic to be working with her. Charlotte Hoping to embark on a career in PR, Charlotte is a massive believer in using creativity to release bouts of stress. After struggling with her mental wellbeing during her teenage years, poetry, painting and meditation are her weapons of choice in combating stress. When Charlotte’s not engrossed in her studies, she’s a magnet for animals: walking neighbourhood dogs, stroking cats and helping injured pigeons. Her ambition and nurturing attitude is why she’s a great addition to our team. Natasha A rugby fanatic and self-coined cake-connoisseur, Natasha is a classic Swansea girl with a dash of sass and a strong desire to support the wellbeing of others. With her working experience built in customer service, Natasha recognises the importance of the individual and how art helps to explore and assist a healthy mental wellbeing. Outreach Chloe Cardiff born and bred; Chloe has a BA in Drama from the University of South Wales. Her main interests are in physical theatre, avant-garde and screen acting; and when she’s not at poetry slam, Chloe is probably practicing her yoga or trying out new instruments. Her love of which, you might say, came from her uncanny ability to play the recorder with her nose! Fun fact: she was offered a spot on the French ping-pong team. We’re just happy that she chose to bat for the Be Extra team. Michael Having studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Michael lives in Cardiff and works as a Freelance Orchestral Musician, traipsing around the UK on his two-webbed-toes. Recently, he’s been trying to teach himself the piano, but he also loves cycling and football and his cat (who tries to sabotage his team meetings by knocking over his internet router). We’re truly grateful to have his committed work ethic on the team. Design and Content Hannah With an MA in Ceramics and currently undergoing a PCET teacher training course, Hannah is from Cardiff and works part-time as a gardener. She’s interested in painting, pole gymnastics and spicing up her meals with chilli, and ideally hopes to set up her own pottery company. This proud plant mama and her nurturing nature is crucial in creating the right environment to promote wellbeing! Alice Kent resident Alice is mesmerised by the process of creating. With a previous job as a visual merchandiser, Alice is all about styling, curating and constructing. Crafty Alice’s favourite activities include what she likes to describe as “abstract mess” including painting old furniture, making handmade cards and commissioned artwork. We think her hands-on approach is vital in making Be Extra the best it can be! Jordan South Walian, Jordan, is an artist otherwise known as MsBlackInk online. Using organic materials and Pagan influences she has created her own online art company that displays her connection to the natural world. With the help from her two pet Asiatic toads, Pacman and Tabitha, Jordan loves to tie-dye her clothes to match her colourful make-up. Her bright vivacity for life is evident in her work ethic and we’re so excited to have it reflected in our work. Declan Declan is a journalist by trade but occasionally dabbles in creative writing and likes to use his skills to help charities wherever he can. He grew up in the North of Ireland, studied and worked in Scotland, and now lives in Wales. Alongside traipsing up and down the breadth of the UK, he’s also been to the Arctic Circle twice! We’re just thrilled he discovered us on his wanderings: driven by his passion for creating a safe and healthy platform for mental health and disabilities, he’s a great addition to any team. Rachel Ex-competitive Welsh sea rower, Rachel, likes painting and drawing and hopes to go back to university at some point to pursue a masters in
The final session of Wellbeing Wednesdays. Free group mental health sessions for creatives. Led by Bethany Garner (BSc, MPsycholsci, MBPsS). The series is going to be based around some of the common symptoms of the current COVID circumstances. There have been reports of high levels of anxiety and low mood – which the sessions should hopefully give some advice for. There will be elements of psychology education and information on key treatments such as CBT, that members of the session can take part in and learn about. Head to our Events page to learn more and book your place.
The fifth session of Wellbeing Wednesdays. Free group mental health sessions for creatives. Led by Bethany Garner (BSc, MPsycholsci, MBPsS). The series is going to be based around some of the common symptoms of the current COVID circumstances. There have been reports of high levels of anxiety and low mood – which the sessions should hopefully give some advice for. There will be elements of psychology education and information on key treatments such as CBT, that members of the session can take part in and learn about. Head to our Events page to learn more and book your place.
The fourth session of Wellbeing Wednesdays. Free group mental health sessions for creatives. Led by Bethany Garner (BSc, MPsycholsci, MBPsS). The series is going to be based around some of the common symptoms of the current COVID circumstances. There have been reports of high levels of anxiety and low mood – which the sessions should hopefully give some advice for. There will be elements of psychology education and information on key treatments such as CBT, that members of the session can take part in and learn about.
The third session of Wellbeing Wednesdays. Free group mental health sessions for creatives. Led by Bethany Garner (BSc, MPsycholsci, MBPsS). The series is going to be based around some of the common symptoms of the current COVID circumstances. There have been reports of high levels of anxiety and low mood – which the sessions should hopefully give some advice for. There will be elements of psychology education and information on key treatments such as CBT, that members of the session can take part in and learn about. Head to our Events page to learn more and book your place.
The second session of Wellbeing Wednesdays. Free group mental health sessions for creatives. Led by Bethany Garner (BSc, MPsycholsci, MBPsS). The series is going to be based around some of the common symptoms of the current COVID circumstances. There have been reports of high levels of anxiety and low mood – which the sessions should hopefully give some advice for. There will be elements of psychology education and information on key treatments such as CBT, that members of the session can take part in and learn about. Head to our Events page to learn more and book your place.
The first session of Wellbeing Wednesdays. Free group mental health sessions for creatives. Led by Bethany Garner (BSc, MPsycholsci, MBPsS). The series is going to be based around some of the common symptoms of the current COVID circumstances. There have been reports of high levels of anxiety and low mood – which the sessions should hopefully give some advice for. There will be elements of psychology education and information on key treatments such as CBT , that members of the session can take part in and learn about. Head to our Events page to learn more and book your place.
Trigger warning: sensitive content discussing suicide. Return to news & features here. The creator of both the artwork and text in this post has asked to remain anonymous. “I’ve struggled with my mental heath for a lot of my life, and it got really bad when I went to uni. I started to struggle with suicidal thoughts as well as the other symptoms of anxiety and depression and felt completely alone. For me, one of the hardest things was feeling like I wasn’t actually worthy of help – I thought about how lucky I was so have an amazing family, fabulous friends, and was able to study my favourite subject (music) at a fancy university. It made me feel like my mental health struggles weren’t valid and that I shouldn’t go to get help and take someone else’s place- anyone who’s tried to access mental health services will know the ludicrously long wait time to get seen. When I finally got the courage to apply, the years of hiding my feelings and putting on a happy face meant that I wasn’t taken seriously, and GPs thought I was just sad from moving across the country (which, regardless, depression from a particular event is also entirely valid). It wasn’t until my first suicide attempt in third year that I was referred for CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and put on medication (in my case we landed on sertraline after a period of trial and error with other meds). I attempted suicide again about two years later during my master’s, after ‘failing’ an extra-curricular project that I’d spent months on. What really got me about this was that I felt like I’d wasted other people’s time and had nothing to show for it. My mind spiralled and I ended up thinking that everyone else would be better off without me and if I couldn’t succeed at this project, how am I going to market myself and build a successful career as an opera singer? The difficulty of building a career in the arts is a constant source of worry for me. There is no security, no guarantee of ‘success’, and for me, I find it hard to separate my own self-worth from what I produce. If I fail at an audition, I feel completely worthless and that I will never succeed at any audition, entirely ignoring any other factors that could have played into the panel’s choices. I started the year hopeful and ready to blast off CVs to companies around the UK for auditions, something I still did, only to receive either no responses, or companies apologising that they’re not holding auditions for the foreseeable because of the pandemic. For me, I’ve had to work incredibly hard on blurring the lines between what I deem to be a failure and what I think a success is to try and make my supposed ‘losses’ hit less hard. As I said earlier, I’m incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful support network in my partner, friends, and family, but there are also loads of other resources and support you can access. Here are some links I’ve found useful or have heard about from others that are helpful to them:” https://www.papyrus-uk.org/hopelineuk/• https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/suicide/• https://youngminds.org.uk/…/feelings…/suicidal-feelings/• https://www.themix.org.uk/get…/speak-to-our-team/email-us• https://www.samaritans.org/• https://www.thecalmzone.net/