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Can art help combat a painful crisis? And if so what skills do have that could make a difference in the sickle cell community?

 Sickle cell is a blood disorder inherited from the parents, there are over 15,000 people in the UK that suffer from this disorder in the UK. Sickle cell affects the red blood cell, which means they are unable to produce enough oxygen; this in turn cause what you would call a painful crisis. There are many other effects of having sickle cell, people are affected in different ways some may not have severe symptoms. As a person with this disorder I am always looking for new ways to manage and control the symptoms as I they are more severe than most. Right now the main way I control the disorder is trough painkillers; but I always wonder are these doing more bad then good? And is there other ways to combat the pain. After some research I found that there are a lot of studies surrounding art therapy and pain management. Art and creativeness has the power to calm and relax the mind, it can give you the feeling of euphoria and happiness, so can help with a painful crisis. The goal of art therapy is not to replace painkillers and other medication but to lessen the amount of medication need; If you can shift the focus of the pain to something enjoyable and creative can it decrease the amount of pain and can it change your mood and make it easier to relax and control the pain, instead of letting it control you. There are different types of art therapy that help treat a multitude of illness such as poetry, music, cooking, sculpting, drawing, painting etc., not all of these things will be suitable for the hospital but from my own experience of being in the hospital I found that things like drawing and knitting not only helps keep the mind off the pain but helps me mentally survive, being in the hospital can put a strain on your mental health and having something to focus on other than your surroundings or your condition can be very beneficial to helping you remain calm and relaxed.  

so what could I do to test this theory and make a difference at the same time? Light bulb moment use my skills! So now I have to think what could I do to help and will what I’m doing have a positive or negative effect on peoples physical and mental health. There are many ways I could do help using my skill set.

Idea 1

Instagram draw challenge – everyday in the hospital you draw a picture of anything you want or you write about anything you want, and every day you post it to Instagram with the #draw4sickle and leave a comment of your current mood.

Idea 2

Knit with me – go to hospitals and teach children and adults how to knit while they are in the hospital.

Idea 3

Fashion show charity auction – using the same Idea as the Instagram challenge but, taking the pictures and the writing that people have done while in the hospital, print them on to fabric a create a collection of 10 looks and then hold a fashion show to showcase the collection and auction off the looks. The profits will be donated to the sickle cell society.

COVID-19 is taking of the planet, and with the world at a stand still what will this mean for the fashion industry? And what will happen to the students studying fashion?

Covid-19 has affected the world and most people are left wondering about how they will survive. As a first year fashion student, i myself have been wondering what will my future hold and what will happen to the fashion industry.

Fast fashion is likely to become a thing of the past as most retailers have been forced to shut there doors, many wont survive the closures and those that do will find it hard to produce the same volume of garments due to lack of resources and restricted travel. This could mean a massive loss of jobs in the industry affecting not only big businesses but those studying to join the industry.

Although the affect of the fashion industry is concerning it may present a gap in the market paving the way for more creativity and less wasteful fashion. This could give the opportunity for designers to concentrate on the there craft instead of an industry lead by money and labels. Big high street brands will be affected the most during this pandemic such stores like Primark, H&M and New Look will suffer the most because of the lack of sales and lack of production. consumers will not be buying products, this could be the opportunity for smaller bespoke retailers to open. If Covid-19 has taught us anything is that buying unnecessary items and cheap clothing will be a thing of the past, consumer will no longer has the disposable income to shop for things that they do not need; They will look for quality in fashion and garments that will last.