The creatives exploring mental health in their work

CR speaks to four creatives who have explored their own mental health issues through their work to find out what they’ve learned through the process

Talking about mental health openly is a challenging thing to do, but it can bring a sense of clarity and understanding to those dealing with an ongoing illness. For some creatives, this journey has also included making work that further explores their experiences, and looks at mental health in a different way.

Here, CR hears from four creatives in the fields of graphic design, illustration and photography, to find out how addressing their mental health issues through their creative output has helped them work more positively and understand themselves better.

BRODIE KAMAN

Australian-born, Berlin-based graphic designer Brodie Kaman’s work is bold and experimental. He has created work for clients in the music industry, and over the years the designer has worked hard on gaining control over his mental health by making projects that allow him to process his experiences.

Shocking Wreck by Brodie Kaman

“Without labelling it, I would say I find it difficult to regulate my emotions,” Kaman explains. “Usually there is a daily cycle of intense mood swings, it can be manageable at times, often it can be debilitating.” This paired with addiction has led Kaman to “some dark places”, and he has sought professional help to combat these issues, though this has been a challenge in itself for the designer.