Sarah ORourke

Aw thankyou Ming, that’s very sweet but it really was the co-operation & generosity of so many people that made this event a)possible & b) a success.

“Art is like a communication tools, in this case to our souls and substances.”

I couldn’t agree more, that’s exactly what this show was all about!
Xxx

Thanks so much Anita… I can’t wait to show you the pics of ALL the artwork, this is just a little teaser by comparison!
Lou’s dresser is just stunning… especially as she did all the mosaic tiling herself, i saw it about halfway done… heehee it too was a council clean-up find!!! And the pics from her shoot… Ooh wait til you see those, she’s a photographer with incredible talent!

The focus appearance is frightening, especially the younger & younger ages at which it seems to be appearing… Likewise, self harm & a range of mental health issues… In my opinion, the only thing more frightening is that the mainstream medical approach is to address the behaviour… the symptoms… without really taking a good look at the cause…
An Eating Disorder(E.D) doen’t occur without reason, it’s trying to tell us something…
In almost every case there is a pre-existing issue causing serious internal distress on an emotional or psycholgical level that is often completely unrelated to issues of food, weight or appearance… An E.D or focus on physical appearance becomes a coping mechanism… initially it may bring a sense of control… It may serve to suppress the emotions or feelings that are underlying… More than anything it’s the sub-conscious trying to communicate with the conscious, & when he/she won’t listen, the wider world… It is very much the cliched “Cry For Help”, it is the voice of the person deep down shouting that something else is wrong… The saddest part is that too often that message isn’t heard… We only hear the ED chatter of food, weight, size & shape.
And that’s where art & Mirrors comes in, self expression through art can give back a voice to what’s deep inside, where a person’s other communicative tools have become ineffective or are simply not being heard.

Thanks so much for your support Anita, your name is on my list!!!
Xxx

Thankyou so much!
As i said to Anita, this is but a sneak peak at opening night… Once the exhibition has finished in the gallery next week, I’ll be bringing it here… so don’t go anywhere!

Thanks so much Cynthia…
The whole experience has been beyond anything i could ever have expected… From reading about it in a magazine last year… to pulling it all together… the amazing support & generosity i’ve encountered… Artists like you sending work all the way from the states!... And the response to the opening night… It was just so embraced… by all.
Thankyou Cia, yes Rhiannon’s vision in starting this event should not be forgotten… i feel lucky to have met her & had the opportunity to be involved in something so meaningful.
OMG the dresser… just amazing… although you should have heard all the jokes about bad luck! The synchronicity in it was amazing… i hadn’t seen Lou for almost 10 years… & she already had this in the works… & was already thinking of doing something with a mental health focus… The stars truly aligned.
Thanks so much for your support C, invaluable!
Xxx

Thanks so much Tammy… Yes it was amazing, a real buzz…. which as i said, that’s not uncommon for an art exhibtion but given the issues behind it are a little heavy… & last year that was felt, it was quiet & a little sombre… But this year was totally the opposite & people were talking openly about the very issues around which we were seeking to open a dialogue.
Heehee… i’m the blonde, black dressed sister… You’re lucky, i don’t often do photos… & almost never without those sunnies!!!
Xxx

Thanks so much Isa.
Yes it meant a lot to me… & everyone involved… to know that our hard work & the generous donation of beautiful artwork was going to such a worthy cause.
It was also about exploring the role that art plays in self-expression & how that might be furthered to not only play a role in recovery but perhaps to prevent illness or disorder taking such a hold in the 1st place.
As long as you’re smiling now i think it’s ok to cry a little, better to let it out than hold it inside.
Thanks so much for your kind support!

Hi Karin,

It’s such a perfect example of how we just never know how things in life will pan out… it was a risk for me reaching out & asking people, artists, whom i barely knew to participate in an exhibition to benefit a cause that whilst all will agree is worthy, remains one that is poorly understood. One of the reasons i put so much in to Mirrors is that opportunity to inform & change the thinking that surrounds these complex issues. Yes i do believe that art can play a role in healing & perhaps even in prevention… Self Expression through Art can provide a way of working through emotions or problems… An outlet for feelings that otherwise can build up inside & manifest in illness, addictions or disorders.

And the creative space were very much about that… engaging people in expressing & sharing their thoughts through art… And yes, to allow inspiration to flow between one another.

For that young girl all i can do at this point is hope… hope she makes it in to the show… hope that something may reach her… hope there might be even the most minute change…

Thankyou so much for your support Karin, as one of the 1st people i approached, although hesitant at 1st, your willingness did give me the confidence to approach others & subsequently discover just how many big hearted souls there are floating around the Bubble here.

Xxx

Oh i know, it’s fabulous!!! I want to buy it, unfortunately NFS :(
I still can’t believe the synchronicity, it was truly meant to be this one!

Thanks so much Rhana, we seemed to strike the right balance between enjoying the excitement of opening night whilst not trivializing the serious issues we were there to address… not easy, but thrilled to say i think it worked!
:)

Aw Pip you’re the sweetest! And i agree wholeheartedly with every one of your lovely words about the RB community.
The exhibition opening was indeed exciting... & that in itself is exciting because getting people excited about “issues” can be challenging, but it was evident that almost all in attendance were there for more than just champagne & some pretty pictures!

We were thrilled at the response to the creative space, i can’t wait to post up some more pics of the art that resulted!
Caitlin Shearer & her posse(& i mean that in the nicest way possible, she bought the coolest crew of friends!) hardly moved from the table all night & some of the drawings… we could just about hang them up & sell them! She’s incredibly talented, new to RB but has a fabulous blog you should check out!
That quote i love too… It’s Rhiannon’s i believe… unless she pinched it from someone else!!!
It’s been a pleasure getting to know you too sweetheart & i look forward to working with you on next years exhibition, i know the thought & feeling you put into your art :)
Xxx

Thanks so much for your support Lynn. And it’s great to hear a professional in the field, you’re few & far between & when the conventional treatments are clearly failing it’s creative & alternative thinking that’s so desperately needed.
I’m sure something similar in the states would be fantastic, is there much in the way of charities or support networks like Butterfly?
“Prevention”… that’s something i’d like to hear more people talk about because that is the real key… you would know as well as i that an Eating Disorder at it’s core isn’t about food or weight or image, they are the symptoms that manifest as the result of unresolved underlying issues.
The key i believe is to equip girls… & boys… people in general… with the skills to better deal or cope with lifes challenges & the emotions that may stem from the range of issues we may face.
It would be great to have you on board next year, look forward to seeing what you create!

Haha you know how i feel about photos… but it was the end of the night & i was really in no position to argue :)Xxx

Isn’t she just?! And she’s a lovely girl too… & i have the most amazing synchronicity story… i’ll share it with you a little later :)Xxx

Ok so, a few months ago i was my local shopping centre chatting to an old frine who used to own the local camera shop when i was a kid, when a woman interrupted, quite politely mind you, inquiring about the cotton tote bag on my shoulder… i began to explain i’d gotten it with a cool U.S eco-fashion mag called Dujour, i didn’t get very far when she stopped me & explained she knew all about Dujour as her daughter Caitlin(quietly standing behind proud Mum the whole time!) had sent then 5 as a promo… so she’d dent them half way across the world only to have one land right back in her own backyard!!!

Then… a few months later i finally got around to checking out her blog, so glad i did… anyway i came across this little post about it all… only to discover the top comment was from a friends sister, Lars ... who is also here on RB, maker of very cool tees & taker of fabulous photos!

So there you go, what a very small world it is!!!
XxxXx

Thanks Anita, i think the broader philosophy of needing to treat “causes” rather than symptoms is applicable in seeking a cure for almost all illness- mental or physical.
Oh dear, don’t get me started on “modern medicine” or traditional medicine for that matter, i may lose any skerrick of eloquence very, very quickly!!!!
There are of course some cases where it’s necessary to treat the symptoms to manage a persons illness, but “manage” being the keyword, that approach rarely provides a cure.
For now, all we can do is be as innovative as possible in changing thinking & attitudes with events such as this & beyond.
& yes hope, whilst ever we’re living & breathing there is always hope!
Thanks so much for your support sweetie, means the world!
Xxx

Hi Jakki,
Thankyou so much for your wonderful comments & support, we’d love to have you involved next year- can’t believe i’m thinking about that already :)!

The sad reality is that no-one is immune from struggling with these issues & it’s unfortunate that the focus, particularly from the media, ignores this.
Teenage girls & young women are the most common demographic affected by Eating Disorders,but they are certainly not the only demographic… 1 in 4 persons suffering from Anorexia in Australia is in fact male… there has been some attention has been given to the diagnosis of children as young as 4 & 5, but you hear little about the other end of the scale whether that be women in their 30’s, 40’s, middle aged or elderly. I can’t recall the exact figures but i did hear not that long ago that a study found a much higher than expected number of people in their 70’s, 80’s & even 90’s dealing with these issues… & quite literally were falling through the cracks without ever being diagnosed. Their illness, & in some case death, was being attributed to old age, with this study being the first suggestion of the real issues… it’s terribly sad.
But the more eyes & minds we open, if we can engage people in a dialogue through art… or whatever means it takes… then perhaps there is hope for change.
XXx

I bought the magazine… ridiculously expensive as it was coming from the states… i only came across it when Dujour started following me on Twitter & was totally drawn in by their art issue & the Ltd. Ed Kelly Smith cover… And i happened to get one of the bags with it…. which i will say it wasn’t advertised, mentioned or anything when i bought the issue either!!!
Thankyou for the Birthday Wishes ♥

I’ll have to hear some of these stories of yours too… i have so many… both mine & other people’s i’ve collected!!!
Xxx