Photography: Sam Brinsley

Oh hello! I’m Ben (he/they), mental health advocate, messy creative. 

I launched Guy Cry Club CIC to play a part in diversifying the dialogue on masculinity and mental health. I believe creativity should be encouraged as a way of understanding our own thoughts and feelings. We should all be given the opportunity to express our ideas through art, regardless of how we identify or our background. 

For most of us, we are told that we should speak with someone if we are experiencing mental ill health. The sit down with a cup of tea approach. And whilst this is completely valid and works for some, it is not an approach that is accessible to or effective for everyone. 

There have been times in my own life where words have failed me. Where i have barely understood what mental health is let alone the state of my own. Where i didn’t have the vocabulary to verbally express what was going on in my head. For me, being creative has always allowed me to understand my world; to process my feelings, experiences and identity. It is how i am able to acknowledge myself in my own time and on my own terms, a process which i continue to learn from. 

I am here to encourage others to explore art and creativity as a way of understanding what masculinity and mental health means to them.

To form a diverse and inclusive creative dialogue, facilitate workshops and curate events. To invite you all into a space where creativity, masculinity and mental health can thrive.