MEET DEIRDRE, AN ADULT CARER FROM nottingham
During September and October 2024, Create musician Bethan Roberts led a series of online music workshops as part of our creative:voices programme, designed to provide adult carers with much-needed respite. Delivered via Create Live!, the workshops enabled carers from The Carers Federation in Nottingham to explore their creativity, connect with others and rediscover joy in a supportive and accessible environment.
We spoke with participant, Deirdre (78) who shared her experience of balancing her caring role for her husband with with her own need for creative expression and mental wellbeing.
Deirdre’s Story
“I care for my husband David. We’ve been married for 56 years. He’s got subcortical vascular dementia, which means he’s got all this intelligence but absolutely no memory – about 30 seconds, if I’m lucky. It means everything needs [to be repeated]. He still thinks he can do everything he used to, like cooking, and that puts him in quite a dangerous position.
“We’ve always shared all home responsibilities until [these] last 10 years when he started to decline. Now my responsibilities include trying to get him to exercise and trying to give him a bit of variety in life. I feel sad for him because his freedom of choice is gone now.
“And I suppose I always lack sleep, which makes me very weepy. Because I need to check on him at night.”
The value of such engagement goes beyond the workshops themselves. Participants find joy in the process and feel proud of their achievements, demonstrating that creativity can be a powerful tool for resilience and growth.
ADDING CREATIVITY BACK IN
“I miss my hobbies. I used to walk a local trail every morning, but I can’t do that now. I can’t just nip to the shops. I’ve lost the ability to write poetry. I’ve had to cut back on everything I do.
That’s where this music [project] has been so important to me because it’s brought creativity back into my life. I have an appointment with it.
“And my main challenge at the moment is I need to think about myself more. This is a good starting point to enabling me, hopefully, to take some of those further steps that I know I need to [take].”
THE POWER OF MUSIC
“We’ve been taking part in a creative music [project] on screen alongside other people. Much to my immense surprise, we’ve written the words and music for a song. It was quite exciting to hear it all come together. We got to see our music grow and develop, in the same way as plants would grow in a garden, which was very rewarding.
“My favourite part of the workshop was when we coloured along to music. It really linked me to the music. I’ve just bought myself some watercolour pencils so I can do it for myself. I’m excited to try and take it a stage further if I can.”
TEAMWORK
“I’ve gained an awful lot through working as a team and conversing with other people on this project. It’s been great fun to work with people who I hadn’t met before and there were so many talents in the group. The teamwork has been such an important part of the project.”
CREATIVITY AND WELLBEING
“I loved being creative. It took me away physically, mentally, and emotionally from my caring role. I’m very tied down by my caring, because I’m a 24/7 carer with just an hour and a half of help each day. But creating things takes us away from ourselves. When you’re involved in creating, you can’t think about how much your feet ache or how your brain is in a fuzz.
this project has added hugely to my life. It’s added to my contentment because I feel I’ve accomplished something and done something different. I think everybody needs someting creative because it takes you out of yourself into another world.
“It’s difficult to get your own growth or your own needs met when you’re a 24/7 carer. David has no idea of any of my needs now, which can be quite painful because I can’t connect with him in that way anymore. So this project has helped me to consider where I am mentally. This is what brings me to tears. I’ve had to think about myself and not somebody else. I have to think about making sure that I’m all right, as well as my husband. And that makes all the difference.”
CREATE LIVE!
Create Live! is Create’s platform of online workshops. Running creative sessions online enables us to engage participants who might previously have been unable to take part.
“One of the really good things [about Create Live!] is that is hasn’t taken me out of the house. It’s allowed me to do an awful lots of things, but I’m still in contact with David if I need to be. And he knows where I am. It takes away the stress, because I know that I’ve settled my husband down and that he’s alright. And I know that I can walk out at any point and check on him, which is fantastic.”
creative:voices is one of Create’s many programmes designed to bring creativity, connection, new skills and joy to those who need them most. For Deirdre, it’s been a lifeline – offering respite, self-expression, and the confidence to nurture her own wellbeing.
This project is funded by The Smiles Fund, awarding funds from Comic Relief and Walkers.