The mission statement of Beauty In Normalcy is to encourage the use of the arts for self-development, one’s own mental and physical health and wellbeing. Raising money and trying to promote the beauty in the everyday through photographic posts on Instagram @beautyinnormalcy, for expression of one’s inner thoughts through poetry @beautywithpoetry. Money for this endeavour is raised for my continued practice, for other mission goals in addition for charities and other resources such as the National Autistic Society and Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN).
Sales of prints shall endeavour to share beauty in the everyday from photographs of landscapes, cityscapes, street photography in addition to other works more focussed on mental health. Additionally, sales of my poetry anthologies will help continue my continued practice in addition to other aims as mentioned in this mission statement.
I shall be undergoing the publication of an Ace-Anthology @acepoetryanthology, an anthology showcasing art, illustrations and poetry from asexual artists, both focussing on the community, individuals’ lives in addition to asexuality. The anthology is a free chance for Ace poets to publish and purchase (at cost price) a copy of the work that they helped to create. It shall also give ace poets a change to see their work in physical published form, to get their poetry and other creative work for others to see, while additional benefits to network and potential for further collaborations with other creatives.
Workshops will also be held on poetry-writing in addition to using both the forms of creativity of photography and poetry in one’s own daily life; therapeutic photography and therapeutic poetry (not to be confused with therapy or phototherapy). These workshops will focus on the development of one’s own creative voice and will not be ‘teaching’ but could be better described as ‘sharing’ sharing knowledge, the forms of creation are not limited to photography and poetry, despite those being my own specific speciality.
Poetry and photography both shall be used in submissions and competitions to help forward other mission aims of Beauty in Normalcy in addition to working with a number of organisations around Brighton to help better the creative scene of the city and encouraging other’s participation in the arts.
The current efforts to raise money for charity focus on 10% of profits made from photographic print sales for the National Society for Autism and 90% of all profits for the Ace-Anthology to the organisation AVEN to support all the good work they do for asexual awareness, education, events and advocacy.
I shall continue to work in a greater capacity with networks of which I am a part of such as the AntiMA, Brighton Artists Network, Arts and Health Hub, Dark Poets Club and helping to better advocate for the arts and others’ creative passions. With the AntiMA I shall continue working hard with an amazing group of artists providing education and exhibition programmes for the betterment for artists’ creativity in a non-hierarchical, non-institutional inclusionary arts education and peer-to-peer development. With the Brighton Artists Network working on advocacy for the arts and entertainment sectors around Brighton alongside a large group of these artists, sharing in peer-to-peer skill sharing and development. While they are supporting me in the creation of an arts and health group, one with the focus on idea sharing, a non-competitive, supportive, inclusionary group for artists to present their work, receive feedback, praise in addition to other suggestions and potential for networking with contacts or institutions whom others’ may know. Additionally, with the network especially in light of Covid-19 we shall try to get council assistance in the revitalisation of Brighton as a creative Hub in the South of England, but one that not only can provide large intuitions the chance to invite artists from elsewhere but also to promote and develop creative practice within Brighton itself. With the Arts and Health Hub I shall continue to foster networks and a greater sense of creativity and how it can support the arts and produce greater change. I’ve applied for a chance to give a group of psychiatrists a workshop on poetry and how it may be used in their practice for helping others in their practice. With the Dark Poets Club, I hope to support them in giving voice to other poets with a common goal of creating an open form of creativity, using language that relies on honesty even if it is focussing on darker elements, as with my own practice, not restricted by what others may think.
Throughout my own practice, work with other networks and commissions and other opportunities as has been the case with a number of books I’ve been featured in and a core goal of my practice is to encourage others’ creativity and following their passions, encouraging the monetisation of their practice to affirm their creative worth, to support them individually and for a growing creative, supportive and positive atmosphere for people to be a part of and enjoy their passions and creativity while also bettering their own health and wellbeing.