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All over New Zealand, the mental health system is straining. We are experiencing more anxiety, depression and overwhelm than ever, but in a quiet room in Phillipstown, Ȱtautahi, artist Caitlin shapes sunflowers out of clay. As more meds are prescribed around the country and as waitlists for counsellors get longer, she has a place of solace.
Caitlin belongs to Ȱtautahi Creative Spaces, a community of people tackling mental distress in a different way. Tucked into a cluster of old school classrooms, it is a place of quiet focus, gentle smiles and steaming cups of tea. It’s a community art studio, dedicated to using creativity as a tool for mental distress, and Caitlin comes several times a week. Sunflowers carry a lot of meaning for her. “They’re really big and they’re really beautiful, but they still need support,” she tells Frank Film. “Being here everything just feels safe.”
Creative Spaces is, according to founder Kim Morton, an alternative to what’s on offer for those struggling the most with their mental health. “The mental health system relies heavily on medications and counselling,” says Kim, who founded the service in 2015. “What we’ve learnt is that people need more than that.” While these things are really important, she explains, they help people to survive – they’re not really enough to help people thrive.
Story: Georgia Merton