Designed as a practical guide to surviving the ups and downs of freelancing in the cultural sector, Mental Health for Creative Freelancers is a comforting antithesis to run-of-the-mill mental health advice.
“Mental Health for Creative Freelancers is a collection of 11 stories written by Edward Ross, each illustrated by a different artist in their own style. It tackles everyday challenges that will be familiar to anyone working freelance in creative fields, including money, rejection, imposter syndrome, working alone, performance anxiety and social media. The artists include Norm Konyu, Simone Lia, Shazleen Khan, Hannah Berry and Graham Johnson.
“The project was developed by Hannah Berry (Livestock, Adamtine, UK Comics Laureate 2019-20) and Graham Johnson (Radical Wellbeing) after Hannah ran the UK Comics Creator Survey. The Arts Council-funded investigation revealed that creators were struggling with their mental health, especially when it came to money, social media, competition and the effects of a global pandemic. Mental health professional Dr Beverley Flint consulted during the scripting process to ensure the advice is useful and reliable. Edward Ross created the characters and situations for the artists to bring to life. Woodrow Phoenix edited and art directed the book to produce a beautiful publication with a focused, accessible voice.”