A Creative Dialogue On Mental Health & Masculinity: Guy Cry Club
Written By Oliver Squirrell
One of the most endearing superpowers of visual art and other forms of creativity is their ability to convey profoundly intricate and multi-layered thoughts and feelings about complex subjects, an expression of human experience that goes far beyond the realms of day-to-day dialogue. Take mental health, masculinity and sexuality as three such examples. What does an anxiety state really feel like? What does it mean to be a man in this day and age? How can one make sense of an ocean of unfamiliar feeling?
Whilst there is great value in verbalising these experiences into plain English, creative expression empowers us to caress a paint brush or grasp a guitar neck until we can start to make sense of it all on a deeper level, providing a cathartic and enlightening experience for both the maker and the observer.
Guy Cry Club takes this principle and provides an accessible platform for anyone curious to unearth hidden perspectives on the aforementioned subjects, providing “a home for your feelings and experiences” both online and through a variety of events and collaboration.
We caught up with Guy Cry founder Ben Driver to find out more about how we can collectively create a deeper dialogue on mental health, masculinity and sexuality through creativity.
Kirsten Valentine, “Telephone”
OS: Hi Ben, thank you for taking the time to chat with us! The first thing I would like to ask is what the initial driving force was behind you starting Guy Cry Club?
BD: The club’s arrival into this world happened quite organically and over a long period of time. But there have been a few poignant moments which sparked action.
The very first whisper was when I was doing craft fairs with my chum Kezia as part of Crafty Cats Club. I got a load of doodle-esque badges together for the markets we had planned and one of them had ‘Guy Cry Club’ written on it. We started noticing that a lot of “arty” guys were getting their hands on them and Kezia was the first to say you should do more with this. That started the entire process. But at that point I had no idea what shape that could take.
Around the same time I had started creating and curating artworks which explicitly tapped into ideas of masculinity, mental health and sexuality. Sometimes creatives talk about a sense of relief and joy they feel when they express something true to themselves… This is how this felt for me at the time and I knew I needed to pursue it much much further. But more than that I realised that my voice shouldn’t be the only one within this stream of expression. I wanted the work that I was making to be part of a dialogue. And the small steps I had made into curation made me wonder how far I could push being a curator within the context of masculinity and mental health.
Eivind Hansen, portrait commission
Coming to realise the positive impact creative expression was having on myself as well as the importance of how art can bring people together became a focal point for me. An entire cycle of relatability and expression was forming; one where seeing a piece of artwork can make you feel like the creator is saying what you think and feel, or that it is representing a part of the community you identify with. In turn that can then encourage others to explore their own creativity to express themselves with honest intent and so the cycle continues.
When I had a firm grasp over these ideas it became embedded within me. More so because at a time when my own mental health was in question and formal support systems were letting me down, I was finding it difficult to find other individuals and organisations that I could relate to. And that’s not to denounce all the amazing people putting their all into mental health awareness, I just felt as if there was nothing for someone like me. If I felt like that I knew others would be too. And I wanted to do something about that.
NKA Quirk, “abitofquirk”
OS: How powerful is creativity for the artist and the viewer when it comes to better understanding our own mental health and masculinity? What does creative dialogue provide that verbal conversation can’t?
BD: There are so many benefits to creative expression. Not only is the act of making something incredibly cathartic, even if it simply takes you out of your own head for a little while, but for so many of us it is the only way in which we can truly communicate our feelings and experiences. Having ownership of our self expression is a beautiful power to harness.
In the context of masculinity and mental health, some of the ideas we have surrounding these notions are forever adapting and intertwining, creating intricate layers of experiences which are sometimes difficult to single out and process. We don’t yet live in a world where everyone is able to openly acknowledge and attend to their own feelings. Being creative, whatever form that may take for you, starts a process of breaking down those barriers. And in a way where you are doing it for yourself, without the need of anyone else.
Gabriela Handal, “Melancholy Boyfriend”
That then develops into a shared sense of benefit for the artist and the audience. Creating artwork can begin to release your own understanding of yourself but so can viewing artwork. In part it goes back to what I have said about that cycle of relatability and expression, but it is also the case in the context of interpretation. Art can be interpreted in many ways and a lot of the time you are reflecting your world view back at the art you are experiencing. You could look at the same piece of art at different times in your life and the meaning may change. It all serves to build a better understanding of who you are.
This is something conventional language just cannot give us. And not everyone feels comfortable talking about their feelings verbally. We as a society are way too used to generalising. Because language is experienced easily by the majority it feels like it has just been decided that it must be the best way of doing everything, which is not the case.
As that implies not everyone can even access verbal or written language. For example, people with disabilities or illnesses that affect their ability to communicate conventionally, how are they meant to speak freely about their feelings? With people who speak a different language or dialect to you there’s an instant barrier to understanding. I'm sure there are countless other examples and to me they illustrate that there are certain limitations to conversation which creativity has the ability to cut straight through.
Creativity transcends language. Creative dialogue sustains inclusivity.
Tom Crump, “Amorphophallus Titanum”
OS: Have the artwork submissions on Guy Cry Club further shaped your own perspective and understanding of mental health and masculinity? If so, how?
BD: I am one person standing within an entire world. How I interact with mental health and masculinity on a personal level is inherently different to every other person. My own perspective is constantly being fed with new insights and feelings which I have perhaps never even considered or understood before seeing/hearing/acknowledging a submitted piece of artwork.
I am still learning... About what mental health and masculinity means to me, how it affects my everyday. As much as I hope others see the artwork on Guy Cry Club and see something they can relate to, with certain pieces I am having that same experience.
This is why I wanted to create something which was collaborative, which invited others to express themselves. Because the process of understanding and change can only begin when we open ourselves to the perspectives of others. The more we listen, the more we all grow.
OS: What have been a couple of personal highlights for you during Guy Cry Club’s first year?
BD: The launch event will always be up there as a vision realised. The idea of bringing together different forms of creativity under one roof is at the core of this club and the support I received locally and from people like the BBC was extraordinary.
When The Blake Society of Downing College, University of Cambridge invited me to speak at one of their events I was stunned. To have someone outside of my locality approach me because they had heard about the club was an amazing feeling. And although it was a little bit terrifying, in that moment, being able to connect with all these new faces was really poignant.
Ben Driver with members of The Blake Society of Downing College, University of Cambridge
But honestly because I think collaboration is such a crucial part in creating positive change, all the times I have been able to work with others for events, workshops or even just to throw ideas around has been wonderful and I am incredibly grateful for those moments.
OS: How far do we still need to go as a society to achieve better empathy and understanding and what do we need to do to get there?
BD: I’m not going to lie, there is a lot of work to do. It is difficult to speak coherently about what needs to change in the least because there are so many layers to this, it interacts with so many individual ideas and needs.
But that’s the first thing that needs to be acknowledged. Without inclusive collaboration nothing will change. Nothing at all. There still needs to be an entire shift in culture; to create a culture of kindness, of understanding, and of expression.
Ian Andrews, “Taps”
Guy Cry Club is one part of an ever growing community of mental health advocates. The more projects that appear and the more that others are encouraged to pursue these, the greater power we will all have to make real change. And as that implies I think that can only come from the ground up. One community will have different needs to another. The distance between those groups could be as little as down the road or as vast as the other side of the world. In coming together to address the needs of different communities we all learn to further our own humanity.
Change like this will not happen because the government issues a new piece of legislation or sets up a new programme to help one group of people for a specific length of time. It happens through necessity and the desire to support those around us. We can’t wait for someone else to make something happen. We all need to instigate change, no matter how small it may seem, so the momentum builds into something much greater.
OS: What does the future hold for Guy Cry Club?
BD: Oh so so much. As the world remains in a state of uncertainty and fear I will be looking to occupy digital spaces to interact with more creatives and people doing amazing things surrounding mental health and masculinity.
Maciek Krynski, “Body Comparative”
I want to start making more zines too. Zine culture is something I am personally super into, everything from the DIY aesthetic to the more refined publications. Experimenting with these formats could lead to some really interesting collaborations and take the dialogue already established online into new territory.
And the hope is that this will lead neatly back into the real world. When the time is right. When I know I can do justice to those I continue to collaborate with. And of course when we all feel safe to be present in the same spaces at the same time. Although I’m not able to make any solid plans in this regard you can expect to see exhibitions, events and workshops to come your way. There is still so much room to grow and I’m ready for it.
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Discover more at guycryclub.com and follow the movement @guycryclub