Usually I keep my paintings to myself, it's what I do to
unwind so I treat them as personal. Like
many of you I saw the news yesterday when I woke up that Robin Williams had
taken his own life. I can never remember
a time when he didn't make me laugh either in film, or an old DVD of his stand
up or in TV back in the days of Mork and Mindy. It inspired me to set up my
easel and paints and paint him, his face half in shadow and half in the
light. My plan is a simple one, To put
this painting up for auction to raise
money for the Samaritans who help people who suffer from depression in their
darkest hours.
As someone who has had clinical depression all my life and
who is also Bipolar it also hopefully helps to rid the stigma that often
accompanies depression. It's not just a case of being 'A bit sad' or someone
simply 'pulling themselves together' as those are some of the most offensive
things you can say to anyone who suffers from depression or a bipolar
disorder. Many of us who suffer from either or both of these don't have a big sign on our head saying 'Beware! Nutcase!'
In fact speaking for myself (as I know me best lol) most people I know
aren't aware of it unless I choose to tell them. (I don't see why I would need to make a
massive big deal out of it. For me my
art gives me an outlet.) It's not linked
to any one thing in my or many other cases, it's just the way we are, and its
certainly not 'a lifestyle choice'. We still can do our jobs just as well as
anyone else, we don't go round crying or
threatening to top ourselves all the time.
There are some serious misconceptions about the whole thing that need
busting.
So it's no surprise that Robin Williams like a great many
others who suffer from depression find a way to cope via a rather sturdy mask
we put up. Its often far easier to put
up a mask than have people see your
massive up and downs. Winston Churchill
he called his 'black dog', a great many creative people have depression related
problems of varying degrees. We don't
want your sympathy, we don't need it, but removing the stigma , yeah that'd be
nice.
So having a organisation like the Samaritans that people can
call when they feel like they want to end it all is vitally important. You never know if or when you may be affected
by depression, so its probably a good idea to make sure they have enough money
to stay around. One day either you or I
might need to call them. I hope that in
some small way the money this painting raises in auction helps to make sure
that they are still there should any of us need them.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression then
you will know that its usually not one event that 'causes' things... it's more
a case of a dripping tap into a glass...one day there is simply one drop too
many for the glass to hold anymore and it overflows. While I've never been so far down that I felt
like suicide, I'd like to think that should I ever end up that low, that an
organisation such as the Samaritans is there to help.
So put your hand in your pocket and bid on the painting, not
for the painting itself, but rather for what it stands for, and to help others
in the process. I'll be putting it up on
eBay some point over the weekend starting Friday 15th August and I do not expect this
to become a Max vs Maya issue, or a Mudbox v's Zbrush v's 3Dcoat issues
etc...as MANY artists suffer from depression and a great many never mention it
for fear they will lose their jobs. This
isn't about me...or even Robin Williams...it's about supporting a cause that
can affect any single one of us at any time in our lives. So really its les about buying a
painting...its more about showing that you have a heart. So show your support and pass the word around.
Wayne Robson
PS to make sure there is no chance of allegations of improtriety on my part I intend to put a third party in charge of the money that the auction raises and hand it to the Samartans charity on behalf of the digital art industy
