You are you, I am me

We are all walking stories. Five members of Creative Together find courage in sharing their deepest thoughts and achievements. Why not listen while you walk, drive or sit and be inspired?

It’s not easy walking into a strange space for the first time. These members not only manage this mammoth task, but share those experiences of visiting the Creative Together centre for the first time.

They talk about vulnerability, fear, anxiety, loss, and how their childhood experiences have shaped them.

We would like to honour their courage by inviting you to be moved by their stories.

Kim

Warm, creative and nurturing, Kim had a self-described ‘rough and ready’ upbringing in Manchester, speaking fondly of the bond between her and her sisters. She talks us through her struggles with anxiety and lack of self confidence throughout her life, and how she’s come on leaps and bounds since first attending Creative Together.

Edward

“You are you, I am me”, the name of our podcast series, was said by Edward when talking about his disability. Edward talks about the importance of having an independent upbringing and accepting yourself. “It’s a part of me, I can’t change it,” he says. Always coming into the centre with a warm ‘hello’ and a ‘how are you’, Edward chats about his life in Bury and how he met his his fiancée, Sarah.

Sara

Bubbly, ‘wild’ and ‘wicked’ Sara explains how she gets her charismatic persona from her childhood and the close family members around her. When she was in school, Sara had a brain tumour that left her in hospital for several months, where she had to learn to walk and talk again. Sara talks about the lasting effects of her tumour and how she works hard to overcome these. Since then, Sara has made tremendous progress, and her confidence and smile is infectious.

Steven

Hailing from Todmorden, Steven ‘Stevie’ G talks about his move to Birmingham in the foster system, before moving up to Manchester following the loss of his brother. Fiercely loyal and an advocate for all, Stevie talks passionately about the importance of supporting the other members at the centre and advocating for those who may find it difficult.

Carolyn

Carolyn sits down to talk about some of her fondest childhood memories, including some particularly humorous moments between her and her siblings. Carolyn is a talented writer, and attends the creative writing sessions at the centre to put her thoughts and ideas into poetry, short stories and spoken word.

Sarah

Sarah is a volunteer at the centre, and also a talented poetry writer. Sarah expresses her emotions and point of view through her writing, to help communicate her thoughts when it feels difficult to verbalise them. It can be frustrating for Sarah when people show a lack of understanding around being visually impaired, and underestimating her abilities. “People can be very presumptuous.”

Bex

Support Worker Bex takes the lead with the creative writing sessions, supporting the members to write passionately and empoweringly, channelling their real-life experiences to fuel their storytelling and characters. Bex talks about some of her inspirations and motivations when working in social care.