Creative Healing
As we navigate our way through life we seem to stumble across situations that reshape our identities and force us to revaluate what is important in our lives. These moments, even in there darkness, can allow us to blossom into more caring, creative human beings. Imogen Paton is a prime example as she’s been a victim of severe abuse, nearly losing her life. Luckily for us all she came out the other side (after much professional support). Below Imogen tells her story to give you the strength to create in defence of pain.
My mission is to help the fight against domestic abuse with a multi-pronged approach. Firstly by speaking out for all of those unable to find a voice thus destroying the silence that makes abuse so powerful. Secondly, providing practical financial support for the services that support the victims in both a practical, emotional and legal sense with their expertise through some of the most challenging times they will face. Thirdly, changing the approach to charity and fundraising by giving the public something in return for their donations, and lastly, changing the lack of education of the public toward the subject starting from primary school level upwards. I often say to people when doing my outreach work in the community, in the UK you are lucky if you get sex education at school (a five minute biology lesson at best) but before children are having sex they should be educated as to what constitutes a healthy relationship. These conversations can start at any age and made age appropriate. If we want to pull the rug out from under the feet of abuse, then we need to stop throwing our children out into the dark.
Having been a victim of severe abuse, losing everything material and financial (£180,000.00 in just 8 months) and very nearly losing my life at the hands of my ex partner, I came out the other side (after much professional support) very grateful for the simple things in life such as being alive and healthy. I still had one relic left: the huge smashed 1968 Chevrolet impala that my partner had crashed after a night fuelled with awful memories. The car was not just symbolic of the physical abuse I had suffered but it was also a symbol of the financial abuse. I looked at it and despite the overwhelming emotion it evoked; I could also see that it was a very powerful visual metaphor for the car crash that my life had become. I knew that there must be some way I could use this powerful tool to give back to Solace and help others overcome the trauma of abuse. I had two options, sell the car for parts and donate the money to them to help fund their services, or use my creativity to think outside the box and do something bigger, more impactful and on-going.
Art made it possible for any and everyone to get involved, it was totally inclusive regardless of age, race, ability, sexuality or religion, just like the abuse that affects every social group. That’s where the art came in. Having been a professional artist myself, it was natural for me to use that language to communicate my ideas. It was therefore no surprise that this smashed car was something I viewed almost as a piece of conceptual sculpture. My relationship to my work was also profoundly effected by my abuser who used to draw on my paintings, changing the narrative/direction and creating a role for himself as “the co-artist” thus making sure the work would lack validation without his input and creating yet another way to control every aspect of my life and practice. I decided that if I could fundraise the money to renovate the car, then I would be able to rent it out for weddings, films, advertising and give 100% of the profits to Solace Women’s Aid for the next 10/20 years, thus creating an on-going revenue stream to help ensure excellent services for other victims. Initially, I started this process by holding large live art auctions of my work from before, during and after the abuse, providing an unexpected visual journey through my experience, but despite selling every piece, it was hard to get the turn out that the event needed to really gain momentum. That’s when I realised I needed to take it to the streets and I started using the car itself as an interactive art installation, traveling events and community groups and raising both awareness by opening dialogue and raising funds.
Imogen Paton can be found at www.artsagainstabuse.com which has information on her story and organisations aims.
Subtitle by Shaneika Johnson-Simms
Article by Imogen Paton
Photography by Raphael Boamah-Asare
