Share your thoughts and let your life be part of the conversation

Share your thoughts and let your life be part of the conversation

13.05.21

It is always good to talk.  Communication is at the heart of our own mental health as well as our relationships with others, but it is not always easy to share how we feel or say what we mean.   

Graffiti can be a manifestation of this; it is often a way for people without a voice to say things that cannot be said, anonymously, outside the rules.   

Men’s voices might be the loudest in the room, and the ones that get listened to by other, similar men, but that doesn’t mean that men are good communicators.  We struggle with talking about emotions, we find it hard to be clear and direct (though that doesn’t mean we don’t shouty and aggressive!), we aren’t always good at listening, we dodge difficult questions and we struggle to separate communication from competition (ever noticed how all-male communication is often about status and power?).   

So after the free form paint spraying of Jackson Pollock and the handprints of intimacy, in 2016 we brought the brush back, because words are useful.  With words at this shoot on a nude beach in Spain, we were able to communicate our love for our cause and our commitment to using words as tools for sharing by putting graffiti on each other’s bodies.   

We chose to do it in bright sunshine on a public beach, because there is no shame in love, and no shame in sharing how you feel. 

WR20 ‘Manifesto’ : Open Edition Coffee Table Book

For more information on better mental health: 

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

https://theskillcollective.com/blog/5-mens-health-resources

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mens-mental-health