Tides of Emotion: the highs and lows of mental health

Have you ever stepped way outside your comfort zone? I decided to do just that in May 2023. In Canada May 1-7 is Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week! With it bringing attention to the importance of good mental health I wanted to speak up about my journey by creating this video. I’ve had my own experiences with the highs and lows this world presents to all of us.

For me, macrophotography of oyster shells is a tool in my wellness arsenal. Creating it lifts me from depression and helps keep me in a positive mental health space. When I am immersed in the creative space the rest of the world falls away. I feel happiness and joy in my photographic discoveries.

Creating and viewing art is indeed beneficial for mental and emotional health. With kind permission my video of still images, is set to Rose Vaughan’s powerful and beautiful composition ‘Stone and Sand’. The lyrics in this piece resonate with me especially the lines ‘I am strengthened by the sea, Something broken mends in me‘ and ‘I feel the spirit lift me high, Stone and sand and sea and sky.’ I hope that listening to them during this simple video will gift you with a moment’s calm and peace.

During the month of May, 2023 my “Tides of Emotion” initiative will donate $50 for every copy of “Oyster Art: The Book” sold to assist Fitzroy Centre with ongoing fundraising challenges. It’s a member of the Canadian Mental Health Association PEI devoted to providing a wide range of supports and services for individuals aged 18 & up living with mental illness. This organization is close to my heart. I am well aware of the incredible efforts of the Fitzroy Centre to provide a sense of belonging, hope and recovery to its members.

Initiative applies only to purchases of “Oyster Art The Book” online and at Oyster Art Studio & Gallery, 795 Canada Rd, Tyne Valley (open by chance & by appointment).

Song credit: Stone and Sand was written by Rose Vaughan, and performed by the Rose Vaughan Trio from their CD Fire in the Snow.