My mental health can’t hold me back

October 18, 2024

“My mental health can’t hold me back from my art,” says Hannah who attends Boonah Creative Arts Centre. Boonah is an art studio that provides a safe and supported place for artists living with a disability. For Hannah, it is the lack of judgement and creative freedom she experiences at Boonah that keeps her coming back, “I can use pencil, pen, paint or whatever I choose. No one is judging me  and that’s a relief. I can be who I want here.” 

Hannah was four when she started drawing. “I doodled in my books all through school,” Hannah says. Throughout her childhood, Hannah moved from Japan to England to Australia, and she never felt deeply rooted in one place. “The instability of my childhood impacted my mental illness and my ability to form deep connections,” Hannah says. Art, however, was one aspect of her life that was constant.

“I like drawing faces, which is ironic because I have autism,” Hannah says. “I am fascinated by people, and I find the human form so interesting. There is so much elegance in movement and muscle. The process of trying to draw a perfect hand, to depict someone dancing or simply someone holding a plastic bag gives me great pleasure and calms my mind.” 

Whenever Hannah enters Boonah’s doors, she gives herself permission to be herself. “I feel safe here.” Hannah says that she doesn’t speak to too many people at Boonah as she likes to focus on her art, but she has built rapport with another artist called David. “He will make jokes and he’s a bit of a tease,” Hannah says. “We have fun. 

David struggles with his memory and always asks me the same questions about what I’m drawing. I always give the same answers, but that’s fine. He’s part of what I love about this place.”

Hannah believes that everyone can create art. “It frustrates me when people say I’m gifted at art, because art is something I’ve spent most of my life practicing. I’ve done some really crappy drawings, but I persisted. It makes me sad when people give up on their art, because I’ve seen how much happiness it has brought me by persisting.” 

Hannah is inspired by the tenacity and determination of her fellow artists at Boonah. “Some people who come here can’t talk or are in wheelchairs, but despite their limitations they end up creating the most phenomenal artworks,” she says. 

Boonah Activity Leader, Peter says that Hannah’s work has the ‘wow factor’. “Hannah has a real emotional connection with her work, and she creates art that is insightful. People are drawn to the way she captures the human figure,” Peter says. 

Hannah is one of many artists whose work is showcased at Boonah’s annual exhibition, held each November. “We have a real drive to get the works of our artists into exhibition,” Peter says. “Our commitment to helping artists with a disability pursue their artistic passions makes us more than just a day program. We are constantly building and developing the skills of our artists and we support them to sell their works to the public.” 

Hannah says that one day she would like to be a famous artist. But for now, her goal is to keep creating art that is meaningful and unique. 

Hannah has good and bad days, but art is something that fills her days, no matter what. “Even if I need to be in bed and cry, I can still draw,” Hannah says. “I am sustained by my artistic pursuits and by the peace I experience every time I come to Boonah.” 

Art making is a therapeutic tool which promotes confidence, resilience and transcends the artist’s disability giving them meaning and purpose. Many long-term relationships have been forged with our artists. We have two creative art centres – Boonah at West Pymble and Tarooki in Brookvale. 

For more information:
P: (02) 9488 2500
E: disabilityfutures@catholiccaredbb.org.au