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Hello Darkness, my old friend
By JayX // I prefer to identify myself as “JayX”, and this is my story. I am a 25-year-old male Singaporean who grew up in an average five-member household. Though my father is the sole breadwinner, we still manage to make ends meet. Life hasn’t always been optimal, but still, I can vaguely recall what genuine…
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Your Struggles Are Valid
By Lisa // People often think about mental illness as something that happens to those with troubled backgrounds. Or there must be some dramatic story that justifies their struggle. I certainly faced challenges telling mine because I do not have a dramatic or traumatic story. No divorced parents, no sexual assault, no job loss or…
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A Young Person’s Search for Meaning
By Sean // I still remember the fateful day I wanted to commit suicide. Depression, the Black Dog as Winston Churchill once called it, had bitten me. I felt empty, alone and completely hopeless. Whenever I looked at myself in the mirror, an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt took over. Thoughts such as: “I…
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The Healing Power of Art
By Kelly Ng // Frequent hospital visits when her father was undergoing a kidney transplant in 2018 made Aanya Rao realise how daunting the monochromatic walls and massive hospital equipment were. “Healthcare centres have become synonymous with ‘home’ for many of these patients and even healthcare workers, and I felt it is only fair that…
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Silent Struggles, Not Anymore
By Lorraine // Growing up in a traditional Chinese family where hierarchy features strongly, and as the youngest in the family, I do not have much of a voice. Speaking up is always considered rude, even if one has been misunderstood. Since we were toddlers, my brother and I were left under the care of…
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From seizing up to reaching out: How an ex-gymnast’s experience with trauma shaped her music pedagogy
By Kelly Ng // The Tapestry Project SG Given Eileen Chai’s illustrious athletic and musical careers, forged with much sweat and tears and undergirded by utter determination to excel, her pedagogy might be surprising. The violin teacher and performer’s practice of teaching – under her music school Music Sparkles SG – is now centred on…
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My Journey with Depression
By Jason // It’s been a tough journey to recovery. I was clinically diagnosed with depression and generalised anxiety disorder in late 2017 to early 2018. I self-harm which on hindsight, stemmed from having been bullied in the past; being looked down on, insulted and abused. This also was triggered by the passing of some…
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Coming Home: Anuradha’s Story
Anuradha writes about approaching life on her own terms, and how she is finally coming home to herself after struggling with depression.
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How To Suffer Gracefully: Karen’s Story
Karen opens up about her personal quest to suffer “gracefully”, sharing six rules that have helped her cope with depression.
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Recovery Takes Time: Aznet’s Story
Medication, therapy, rehabilitation – Aznet writes about her experience with Bipolar Disorder and how recovery is arduous but rewarding.
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Pandemic Butterfly: Victor’s Story
By Victor Guo // It’s been a year since COVID-19 reached Singapore. Unrest. Anxiety. Uncertainty – most people feel this way. You are not alone. I feel that way as well, perhaps on a different and deeper degree than most… because I’ve had mental illness for many years. Everyone was leading normal lives. Who would…
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What are we consuming on social media during COVID-19?
By Xuan // “Lockdown”, “circuit breaker”, “quarantine”—different terms with the same meaning that summed up 2020. To escape the restrictions placed on traditional face-to-face interaction, many of us turned to social media. It also became more of a platform to unleash one’s creativity, as evinced by the surge in ‘Tiktokers’, Youtubers, and Instagrammers. Nonetheless, its…
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Our Theme for 2021: Being a #WorkInProgress
If there was anything that the pandemic has taught us, it would be that people are resilient. We often think of ‘resilience’ in terms of black and white; that either you have it or you don’t. But this is a fallacy. Resilience is a dynamic concept; something that can be learnt, nurtured, built upon. That…
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Two birds offer solace and comfort during dark times: Nadera’s Story
By Marcus Lim // Nadera’s two birds are not just her “children” who she cares deeply about, they are also her lifeline. She shared with The Tapestry Project about her struggles with mental illness, her birds, and her experiences with the current pandemic. Remo, a yellow-sided Conure, and Kiwi, a yellow-green budgie, have been a…
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F.E.A.R.: Face Everyone And Recover – Thomas’ Story
By Thomas K. // The first ever emotion I remember at four was fear. I came from a dysfunctional family, and my father was physically abusive since I was young. I was unable to attend school regularly due to daily beatings. Even if I did go to school, I had no pocket money or school…
