about.
My name is Ellen Nauwynck. I was born on the 30th of October, 1981, and live in Belgium.
From 2001 till 2012 I lived in Brussels, were I studied and worked as a graphic designer.
In 2012 I returned to my hometown Wijnendale (Torhout) with my family.
In 2013 I experienced my first serious episode of psychosis.
In the following years four more episodes followed.
Being creative has always been my first love but after my first episode I decided something major had to change in my live.
So I started to study and become a nurse because, besides being creative, helping people always felt like a second nature.
I work as a nurse since march 2017, but continue to struggle with my mental disorder.
I make my artwork at home as a therapy to clear my mind.
My art represents the way I think about life, the world, the universe.
Since I experienced my episodes of psychosis I am much more in touch with my self in a spiritual way.
After years of tremendous fear, anger and shame, I can finally accept myself and my psychological vulnerability.
So now I want to use my work of art to open a conversation about mental disorders
to help break the catastrophic effects of mental health stigma.
Part of the sales-profits will be invested in a project where people, going through an intens crisis,
can be guided along this experience without (or with a minimal amount of) medication.
A place where this experience is not merely seen as only a symptom of a disease to get rid of.
The crisis is a wave of unprocessed emotions floating to the surface of the mind,
not to be repressed by anti-psychotics, but to be dealt with in a humane way.
