She struggled in school, was told to “brush it off” when asked for help with mental health and got treated as an outcast. Now Yun Makan has set out to positively change the narrative of the way we deal with mental health by using her art.
She spoke with us and shared her journey and mental health advice. Yun is a 25-year old women from North East India who has a passion for art and all things creative. She is an artist and Youtuber, who aims to use her platforms to raise awareness on mental health. Mental health is an important subject to understand and be educated on, something she unfortunately did not have whilst in school. Art was an escape for Yun and now she wants people to be inspired and motivated to find their own safe place.
“I struggled with mental health my whole life, but I was not diagnosed until recently. I needed a way to cope without constantly depending on therapy. Art was how I had always channeled my emotions, I started using my art on Instagram to share and raise awareness with my followers about the struggles of mental health. A large base of my followers are from India. Mental health is not a common topic of conversation there, which encouraged me all the more to speak on it.”
In England, 1 in 4 adults will experience a mental health struggle of some kind each year. In the UK, 75% of children and young people who experience some kind of mental health problem aren’t getting the help they need.
Makan aims to break the stigma around mental health and for followers to be encouraged to speak on it. “I want to teach that you are not alone and don’t have to hide it but can express your emotions through creativity.”
School life for Yun was difficult to say the least. She wasn’t taught about mental health nor was it appropriate to speak on it. She wants to educate people that there is a way out, and its necessary to speak about how you feel. “I feel free and found a purpose. I feel a sense of peace when I’m being creative and doing what I love.”
The artist has received positive messages on Instagram, thanking her for her work and confidence on speaking about it. Supporters have been inspired to start their own journey on finding how their creativity can help their mental health.
“My advice for anyone going through something, particularly the youth, express yourself. If you need an outlet, there is a healthy way. Find your safe place, mine is art, yours may be dance, singing, writing etc. Look for your passion.”
If you’re struggling today, please reach out to someone. Find your safe place like Yun did, your journey can have a happy ending too.
You can follow Yun’s journey here: