Create supports the UK’s young and adult carers throughout the year with free access to high-quality creative workshops led by professional artists. For Carers Week 2015, we’re introducing you to some of the carers that we’ve worked with and how they’ve benefited from our programmes.
Peter cares for his wife who has paranoid schizophrenia. He took part in creative:voices during February and March 2015, Create’s programme that enables adult carers to explore their self-expression through writing and collage.
“I’ve gone from a person that struggled to express myself visually to someone who feels completely comfortable with creating art.”
Peter
“The creative arts allow us to express ourselves. Everyone is able to do their own thing. In some spaces, I feel like I don’t know anything about art but by the end of the project we all felt like arts masters. The main thing that stops me from making art is the lack of opportunities. I just don’t normally get offered the chance to do something like this.
“Projects like these enable me to do the things that I would have loved to have done at school but never did. I’m going to use the skills that I’ve learnt with my little boy and create a few stories with him. Although my wife is also a writer and has been published, I’m looking forward to sharing with her some of the visual skills that I’ve learnt. I’d really like it if she was able to give some input into making what I want to do as well.
“I’ve definitely become more relaxed since taking part in creative:voices. I’ve gone from a person that struggled to express myself visually to someone who feels completely comfortable with creating art. I think my wife has noticed that I’m a lot more relaxed in myself now. I’m trying not to let everything build up and get on top of me. Now I’ve actually got an outlet and I’ve got some direction.”
*name changed to protect anonymity