As creatives, we have a voice. We have the power to create content to help people understand. A conversation, a social media post, a photography series, a blog piece. Awareness can be created by using your medium and raising your hand. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, it鈥檚 tough to put yourself out there.
鈥淗aving a baby will cure the pain鈥 is what the doctor told me at the age of 21. Fresh out of University and back living with the parents, it was too much. That鈥檚 what the professionals had prescribed to fix the unbearable pain I had been fighting since a young teenager.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a heavy period鈥. 鈥淚鈥檒l prescribe you Buscopan for IBS鈥. I鈥檇 heard it all. But that appointment topped it for me.
I was unaware that the following five years would consist of numerous evasive hospital appointments, multiple scans and thousands of pills. Being put into a premature menopause was even on the cards. Suspected endometriosis or adenomyosis is now the diagnosis and the next step is a laparoscopy to confirm.
I was studying a photography degree while dealing with this illness, and I was looking to those in the creative community for support. Ten years ago, there weren鈥檛 many voices. It almost felt like a taboo subject. Ew, women鈥檚 health. Can鈥檛 talk about that, it鈥檚 embarrassing.
That stigma has stuck with me, and even writing this today, as someone who has grown massively in the ability to discuss it, I still almost whisper 鈥淚 have a condition called endometriosis鈥 when asked why I don鈥檛 eat dairy.
Creatives are putting their stories out there and using their medium to highlight women鈥檚 health for the hugely important topic it is. There are many conditions which are misrepresented and not spoken about, so the significance of creatives using the power of their voice could make a positive impact.
The power of words
Writer openly discussed her with Vogue in 2018. At the age of 31, she was fighting endometriosis. It鈥檚 a very raw account. She shares intimate stories of when she ran around as a little girl pretending to be pregnant, and then of the tears as an adult going in for her operation that will stop her ever being able to bear a child.
Lena doesn鈥檛 say why she shared her story with the world, but ends the article with 鈥淎nd all that will be left is my story and my scars鈥. She used her powerful writing to stand up and tell her story, probably because she knew how important it was to tell. Whilst a hysterectomy isn’t a cure for endometriosis, it’s unfortunately a route people take to try and ease their symptoms. As an Emmy award and Golden Globe winner, Lena鈥檚 voice will be heard by many.
The power of photography
Photographer, , has been working on a photography series capturing the truth of what living with the chronic condition means. Georgie鈥檚 photography powerfully resembles what many would experience.
She captures the light beams fading in the hospital room as the time slips away. A shot of a mother in agony, allowing only a glimpse of a child鈥檚 hand suggesting a loneliness. And the lines of ink connecting dates and scars from operations.
Whether intentional or not, behind the pain and sadness, I also see strength. A woman breastfeeding her baby whilst holding her stomach because she has to stay strong for her child. And a woman standing in the light as she shows bloating and bruising.
“In this work I have documented the physical and emotional trauma of eight people fighting the disease, including myself – our scars a chronology of misdiagnoses, unnecessary procedures and, ultimately, the many failings of our healthcare system.”
Georgie Wileman
Georgie鈥檚 project started a conversation, and during Endometriosis Awareness Month in 2019, she shared images from fellow survivors on social media. The movement picked up over 2,000 submissions from endometriosis survivors around the world and generated international press.
The power of illustration
Other creatives have also used creativity to put the spotlight on important health issues in a less personal way. 17吃瓜在线’s Female Health collection highlights how creatives are raising awareness through design, covering topics such as cervical cancer, PCOS, infertility and IVF in illustrations. They are giving us the opportunity to share important stories with the world through聽inspiring聽content.
The power of television
More directors are now talking about misrepresented health conditions in television and film. with Kate Garraway helps people struggling with medical conditions. Each series covers different conditions, but included in the six-part series are fibroids and endometriosis; two issues that affect a large proportion of the population.
tells the story of Jane, Sutton and Kat bearing all as young women in their mid-20s. I rave about this show to everyone because of how honest the characters are. The storylines cover some very taboo subjects, making the show feel very relatable.
The writers shine the light on important topics such as miscarriage and breast cancer in the series, giving a healthy dose of reality, unlike other shows on the television. Miscarriage isn鈥檛 a topic covered widely in the media, but thankfully, and importantly, this show went there.
I鈥檓 sure I echo many when I say there are too many conditions which aren鈥檛 discussed enough. If you鈥檙e a creative, think about the opportunities you have to raise awareness.
Whether you decide to use content from 17吃瓜在线’s Female Health collection in your next blog, share your own story, or make this topic the focus of your next campaign, we encourage you to start the conversation. Let’s support our colleagues, friends, sisters, aunties, cousins and mothers. Let’s raise our hand.