Natasha
Deaf World
I took a picture of my friends, and they're all Deaf (capital D), and one deaf (lowercase d). That was taken in Switzerland. There's no Wi-Fi; it's off the grid. It was really nice and calm. You can't use social media or the internet. So we are in the middle of the mountains, and we went hiking.
That really boosts my mental health, appreciating nature and being with d/Deaf friends, signing, some talking, but signing mainly, so it's very accessible. It's really nice because I usually go on social media, and it can drain your mind because there's so much information. And that was very peaceful, and we don't think about the outside world; it's just sort of another world.
For me, it's quite easy to be myself with d/Deaf friends. I can explain myself freely. Whereas, compared to hearing friends, I find it more of a struggle, more challenging, because with hearing friends as a Deaf person, it means that I may miss information, or sometimes I have to remind them, but sometimes you give up. So with d/Deaf friends, it removes all the stress or worry. So that's why it's very freeing and it helps to be myself. That's where I got my confidence from, hanging out with d/Deaf friends, and also I have a twin sister too, and she was in that picture too.
Deaf Journey
This is a photo of stairs to a door, but it's closed. I feel that is related to how I experience challenges, because there are stairs that we can step forward onto, even if the door is closed, but you have to wait until you get there and open it and see what happens. Maybe it's shut, and then maybe you find another way, or somehow it opens, but you have to step forward. Don't assume “Oh, it's too hard”.
Try, take a risk, see what happens, and if it didn't work out, that's fine, then you are not meant to go there; it will take you to another path. Also, I think the tools to deal with life's challenges are to share your problem with friends, or family. If you're struggling, say so, don't hold it back. And also, it's important to express yourself; it could be through writing, art, or poems.
It's important to take time, you don't have to go the whole way in one go; you can step on one stair, have a break, wait and then carry on, all the way up. It takes effort, but also belief, and it takes faith to step forward. I think that is the hardest part is that people need to take a step forward. If you have belief in yourself, then you will be okay. I think it’s important to build a strong sense of self-belief even when it feels hard.
Be Still
I took that when I was in France on holiday in Nice. And it's a ladder that you have to step forward, with big jumps, but then there's the sea in front, there's the unknown in the sea. That could be mental health for me.
It's all about being present. And when you are present, you're not pulled off in your life, because life is unpredictable and sometimes unexpected, so you can't know your future. That's why it's sort of a mystery, the unknown. So you can overthink and stand there and think, "Oh, no, I could drown, I can't do it"', and some people could be overconfident and jump too far. It's all about mindset and how you control your mindset.
But I think you have to be in the moment. And you can't know the future, but you can see in front of you, but it is distant and far like the horizon, and you've got to try, see what happens, try to take the next tiny step, and maybe the ladder appears ahead. but be present.
And the sea is very calm. The future, you can't know if it will be chaos, the sea might turn stormy or choppy, but I think it's important to be present and still.