Testimonies of lived experiences
This Testimony Map was one of the multiple collaborative outcomes emerging out of a series of Community Art Workshops. The process of conducting these arts workshops was one of discovery and humility, meeting people who had overcome some profound challenges to be in spaces where they were investing in their recovery and making connections. Though encounters with mental health history could sometimes bring up emotion for participants, the sessions were also filled with laughter, celebration and communal support. The workshop participants were brimming with creativity and expressive abilities, and retold their own stories with precision, perception, and panache.
Some of the Life Journey Drawings and Life testimonies have been edited to remove any
identifying feature and protect participants’ anonymity.
Life Journeys captured the important events in participants lives, and the journeys they have made both physically and emotionally. The Life Journeys became intricate and revealing maps, richly textured and as brilliantly unique as their makers. Painful and celebratory in turns, they are a testament to human resilience and the importance of community.
Life Testimonies are curated extracts from enlightening conversations where we learn about each other through deep listening. These Life Testimonies are the chance to encounter other people in their own words, playing back their stories so that we meet the complete human being. Insightful, illuminating, and wise, these are narratives of survival and courage.