Issue: Various
Organization: Various
I continue to be amazed by all the stories that keep coming in from all of you. I hope you’ve all enjoyed hearing the stories of others using their art to affect some kind of positive change. This week, I’m featuring Julie Fordham, an artist that stumbled upon my blog recently and has been an incredible encouragement and has passed several other names along to me that I hope to feature in the future.
I encourage you to check out her blog, which can be found by clicking here, or taking a further look at some of her art, which is posted on her Deviant Art page. Julie considers herself a mixed media collage artist, and says, “I use whatever I can get my hands on.” (That’s the spirit…)
Julie says she’s passionate about so many things, but her art is focused on depression, suicide, self injury, and eating disorders. She’s got a great heart, and shared this story on her art with me:
“I probably got my start from my mom. She’s got a big heart. Definitely a giver. We’ve done a good deal of things together. Everything from working at homeless shelters to doing work in Africa. She definitely fostered this desire in me to give. My passions lie with using art as a solution.
I think I was 15 when someone handed me my first sketchbook. And at first, I tried desperately to use it as I thought a sketchbook should be used: to write and sketch out ideas and then make bigger full pieces of art from that. But after a while, I just kind of gave in. I hated leaving any page unfinished. I wanted them all to be pretty. And once I get started…it just kept going. Things I never knew I even had inside of me came pouring out. It became my healthy outlet when I was dealing with things that were bigger than me. It’s now nearly ten years later and I’m still doing art journals as a form of self therapy. Truth is, I can’t stop. I’d love for them to be able to help others. Anything from just reading and knowing that there’s someone else out there that feels the same, to inspiring them to pick up their own journal. (I guess we’ll see how that goes.)
I really love what To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) and Heart Support are doing, as well as Art is the Cure. I like the idea using art therapy to heal hurts. I came across videos on YouTube of National Geographic Photographers doing art therapy with people in war-torn countries, places that have already received the basic assistance of food, water and shelter. I think people neglect love sometimes as one of those basic needs, and I think art therapy can help with that. I would love to get to that point. But there’s a good deal of hurt here in the United States that can be helped, as well (and it’s where I am currently). Hopefully, I’ll find an organization that feels like home soon.”
Keep checking back for more artists, and you can now follow social he(art) on the official social he(art) Facebook page. Become a fan, and be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed on this site, as well!
By: Shane einherjarstudio.blogspot.com
25 May 2009 10:15 am
Congratulations for the feature Julie. I absolutely love your work and your work has inspired me to take my own Art Journal to a new level. Mixed media is a lot of fun and my Art journal is quickly getting filled up now. All because of you.
Your art is incredible. I thank you very much for sharing it with all of us.
By: Julie Fordham yourwordsaremyweakness.blogspot.com
24 May 2009 8:33 pm
Thanks again!
I wanted to share the link to the National Geographic video I mentioned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdBAt6ZXc84&feature=player_embedded