Voices of Pain and the Voice of Hope

Voices Of Pain And The Voice Of Hope

Project 2014-08-21 15:07:34 +1200

Hi, my name is Alexis Waterhouse.

I am a counsellor in the Rodney District, (North of Auckland). For the past six years I have had the privilege of working with men and women through issues such as Anxiety, Depression, Abuse, Eating Disorders, Personality Disorders, Self Harm, Suicidal Ideation, Addiction and Grief and Loss. Over this time I have heard many stories and seen a lot of pain. One thing that has become glaringly obvious is that while each individual's journey and pain is their own - the lies that they hear as a result of this pain are much the same. 

Earlier this year I wrote a poem entitled "The Voices of Pain and the Voice of Hope." It is designed to expose the lies that keep people isolated and alone in their pain; then to bring hope and draw people to community and support. A little while ago, I had the idea of making it into a book.

So here's the pitch: :-)

I would like this book to be a Visual, Emotional, Spiritual and Tactile journey through from Pain to Hope. The majority of the poem is divided into two repeating sections: Pain and Hope. The pain parts detail the repetitive voices from seven different common Mental Health issues: Eating Disorders, Abuse, Anxiety & Depression, Chaotic Lifestyles, Self Hatred, Attachment Issues and Suicide. Alongside each 'Voice of Pain' will be a corresponding picture drawn by someone whilst they were in the midst of their pain. Following this will be a "Selah." Selah means "pause and reflect." The purpose of the Selah is to help people to see that even in the worst times there is still beauty and life and hope. Also to turn towards and through the pain; rather than avoid it (and worsen the problem!) The words of the selah will be photoshopped into a beautiful panoramic picture of the NZ landscape. This is designed to teach readers to engage their senses in the moment (mindfullness) and find hope. The conclusion of the poem is an exhortation to move from the lies and isolation; to face and move through the pain, and to engage in community and hope. 

I plan to print the book on different types and weights of paper - so it has a very textural effect also. For example, the 'pain' pictures will be printed in Greyscale on translucent plastic paper - so the words of 'pain' will show through the image. Hopefully this will lead to a very 'mindful' experience while reading. 

The final section of the book will contain the 'resolved' pictures from each client and a short testimony sharing some of their journey through their pain. The idea is to encourage those at the beginning of their journey to keep going - because there is life and joy on the other side. 

The book will also contain brief information on mindfullness and self care for those suffering from emotional pain. 

The most important part of this project is that ALL the profits from the book will go to "A Girl Called Hope." I have worked at A Girl Called Hope for the last 5 years. They offer a FREE 6 month residential home for young wome (16-28 yrs) with Life Controlling Issues. www.agirlcalledhope.org.nz. They recieve no Government funding and so are constantly having to fundraise and petition for support. My dream for this book is that it would bring in enough money to significantly ease the fundraising pressure for them.

Currently I have all the materials (poem, artwork and photographs) all collated and in with a designer. It will be ready for print at the end of November. This will mean that the books will be available Jan 2015. 

I'd like to sell the book at around the $20-25 dollar mark (so as to make it as affordable as possible). To do this I'll need to do a larger print run - which is of course a bigger outlay at the beginning. 

This funding will help me pay for the design work, printing, the website, promotional work and shipping / distribution. 

I have recentaly launched a website: www.freedom.ac.nz. It includes information on the book as well as a blog and resoruces for people to read. I also have a Facebook page where you can be kept up to date with all the exciting things happening with the book. 

Thanks for reading my proposal - I'd love to hear your feedback!

Lexi 

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