Freya Connelly-Warne
I used red ribbons, and I used my hand to go through them. That shows that being Deaf also affects mental health. Most of the time, you try to get support, but the NHS or mental health support teams don't have the right support for Deaf people, so it's harder to get help.
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And most of the time, lots of people struggle to get interpreters, which is why I used the ribbon, because it's like I need to say something, but I'm being pulled back, I can't sign, telling them my feelings or what I'm going through.
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So, that photo shows that the support for Deaf people pulls you back. And the red also symbolises self-harming and other mental health problems. It's pulling you back and stopping you from getting the support, and also making your life even harder, by not understanding properly.
Red Ribbons (Restricted Access)
Mirror Balls
When I see that [photo], I remember going to places with my friends and going out with my parents; I've got good memories. With that photo, that's when I went to my friend's first flat, and I felt honoured, because I was the first person to be invited to her flat; that shows how strong our bond is. If I ever need anyone, I know my friends will be there for me, just like I've been there for them. So it's like memories inside the balls.
Cave
This one is a cave, and we saw this small door at the end. That relates to my experience in the past. So I've built so many barriers, and I've got it all hidden so people can't really reach in. I feel like I'm inside a cave that just gets smaller and smaller and I'm hidden at the door in the end. And people are trying to go through.
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But at the same time, it's also a way of struggling as a Deaf adult, because those rocks represent the struggles I've gone through, like at university, jobs, getting support in meetings or doctor appointments, those are the barriers. And in my mind I'm thinking, I've been through this before I can try and go through this again. So in a way, it's like I'm hiding but still opening up, but to the right person.
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With caves, there's always tunnels that get smaller, and there's some people who can fit through that and other people can't fit. So the people who can fit are the people I trust and let them through and the people who don't fit, it's like they're so full of themselves trying to make themselves look bigger. But the people who are smaller, they are like shrinking, because they're not making themselves so self-centred.