Tashkeel Introduces Mental Health Kit For Artists In Response To Global Meltdown
Dubai-based art organisation Tashkeel has just launched a range of mental health resources for artists and designers trying to navigate the uncertainty of the path ahead amid the COVID-19 pandemic
A topic that was fortunately shed light on this year, mental health and its challenges are taking the front seat in 2020. As many of us are going through a zone of turbulence, whether at work or just generally speaking while trying to adapt to the ‘new normal’, initiatives are emerging to help us cope.
The art world being no exception to this global meltdown, the emergency of addressing the issue came as an opportunity for Dubai-based art and design organisation Tashkeel, to create the Toolbox for Facing the Pandemic for artists and designers, in collaboration with psychologist Reema Baniabbasi.
Mental health being crucial to maintain an artist’s creative flow, it was imperative for Lisa Ball-Lechgar, Tashkeel’s Deputy Director, to come up with a solution to counter negative thoughts and offer advice. This necessity to provide support eventually gave life to the toolbox, a real mental health kit that, “Aims to help visual art and design practitioners establish a holistic self-care routine and suggest self-care tips that can apply to different areas of their lives; from the physical and emotional, to the intellectual, social, professional and financial,” explains Ball-Lechgar.
Concious Sketches by IMV Creative
This very insightful toolbox goes even further by also providing, “A set of reflective questions for journaling and creative expression, enabling practitioners to reassess their work routine, working environment and the changing relationships with all those they interact.”
Self-care being at the heart of the toolbox project, it was important for Tashkeel that issues such as, “Creative block, self-doubt and anxiety as a result of changing circumstance and insecure income,” were addressed, as burnouts and work-related stress is a reality that artists too, can experience. While mental health happens to be a private matter to most, Tashkeel has not, “Actively reached out to formally assess the impact of the toolbox,” but that certainly doesn’t outshine its positive effects.
Alongside the advice given by the kit, the online talks, discussion forums, information, lectures and courses that Tashkeel has been delivering online over the last five months have significantly helped many of their members, but more globally, art practitioners, to “Pursue lines of enquiry through their creativity, overcome blocks affecting their flow and resume the process of producing meaningful and relevant work,” says Ball-Lechgar.
A work by Chafa Ghaddar
Supported by an online discussion between Reema Baniabbasi and Tashkeel member, artist and designer Faissal El-Malak when released, the toolbox and the COVID-19 Resources for Artists and Designers are two resources that are now available to download on Tashkeel’s website and they are regularly updated. As Ball-Lechgar rightfully told us, “Social distancing is one aspect that may well remain with us for a long time,” emphasising on the toolbox’s necessity to help art practitioners, “Work through maximising the benefits rather than focusing on the problems both for the short and long-term.”
And If 2020 gave us nothing but the opportunity to reassess our priorities and reconsider the place mental health takes in our lives, then maybe, we didn’t have the worst year ever.
From the Autumn 2020 issue of Harper’s BAZAAR Art