HeadSpace - New Writing and Art Zine

HeadSpace is a writing and art zine based around the theme of mental health. The idea was born from the experiences of a group of young people who were dealing with mental health difficulties.

It was clear for those who had spent time in psychiatric wards that there was a lack of appropriate reading material available there, and few places to express the artwork they had made in the ward following discharge.

The name HeadSpace was motivated by the idea that in culture and society, we are not given the time or capacity to express, create and think as time is money, but all of us feel the need to buy some 'headspace' - you need to be able to afford reflection, and reflection and time are essentials to maintaining positive mental health.

The zine, which will be launched in April and distributed in psychiatric wards, support groups and University welfare offices as well as being available for general purchase, it will act as a forum for expression and creativity based around the theme of mental health as well as showing solidarity and support for people not in the whole of their mental health.

The zine will express and explore all aspects of mental health, positive and negative, in an effort to engage the public with an issue which is often taboo and shied away from. How do you define mental health? How does it relate to society, to family, to history? How is it perceived? What's its relationship to personal responsibility? HeadSpace doesn’t presume it will answer these questions. But it will help us all to think about them.

The HeadSpace team are using the crowdsourcing website FundIt to finance their project. Funders can donate anonymously or publically and receive a range of “rewards” as thank yous for their donations, which can be as little as €5. For more info, see http://www.fundit.ie/project/headspace

HeadSpace is still welcoming submissions of art, creative writing, poetry, articles, and personal experience stories. “We want to focus on ALL aspects of Mental Health, the positive and the negative, don't just think illness, think recovery too!” Please send your submissions to HeadSpaceZine@gmail.com by the end of February, and like HeadSpace on Facebook to keep up with this fantastic project as it develops.

HeadSpace Facebook page.