The Japanese art of Kintsugi teaches that broken objects (usually ceramics) are not something to hide, but to display with pride. This sentiment is also applied to human stories of overcoming trauma making people more valuable when healing themselves; repair requires transformation. They say that the pristine is less beautiful than the broken. 
The shape of us is impossible to see until it is fractured. I wrote this self reflecting rant, which I realised was inspired by Kintsugi: “I am flawed. But I’m tending to my flaws. The scars we bear mould us into wiser more empathetic beings”.  - Stu Mills (original writing contributor)

“The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong in the broken places”. -  Ernest Hemingway.

#kintsugi #anxiety #depression #masking #vulnerability

Looking For (Kintsugi DEMO)

CREATING HOLD FAST, BACKSTORY:
"My brain is super noisy. I'm from the 80s born to a family of concrete workers. I barely know anything about mental health and have quietly fought battles alone all my life. Only since Covid changed the world have I become more aware of the importance of mental health awareness for mental health. We're all in this world together! So, I loved The Noisy Brain project as soon as I saw the name and the yellow color. Love that. I had a great time working on my song "Hold Fast" for this collaboration. I learned a lot about myself and the shared struggles of others.” - Malleus Incus Stapes @m.i.stapes

Hold Fast (Demo)

This was written about the moment of realisation, knowing and understanding that overcoming a traumatic time in life; ultimately it will make you stronger as a person. Everything feels brutally unnecessary at the time of hardship, but if you push through the pain, somehow something clicks and you see an 'optimistic apprehension’. 
‘Optimistic Apprehension’ = Things are not solved, but you know things can & will get better. - Stu Mills ( original writing contributor )

To Know Things (DEMO)

I'm fascinated by the idea of nothing, as there's no such thing - nothing has to be something. Whether it's imagined as darkness, pure white, or transparency, that's still something. So, can nothing really exist? - NickK

Nothing - Monopoly Loser & Maks Divine

Written during the realisation that mistakes were constantly being repeated under the disguise of needing a change of environment. When in reality, all I really needed to change was, myself. We live in a world where to admit anything negative about yourself is seen as a weakness, when actually it should be seen as a strength. It's not a weak move to say, "I need to stop the chase, I need help". Stu (original contributed writing)

Swapping Places - Reuben + Stu (DEMO)

This is possibly too dark for a song, but I'll submit it and see what you think...
This was written about a year after I came out of hospital (mental health unit in Surrey) and I was frustrated as I felt nothing much had changed, and I was on all these meds, which were sapping my soul - killing my personality.
It's pretty raw, but it's the truth. - NickK

DESOULED - Jessica x NickK

"The song Brain Noise has been created using the lyrical writings of contributors to The Noisy Brain. Mental Health is very close to my heart and it has been an absolute pleasure to have been part of this. Voluntary organisations like The Noisy Brain are vital to support, these guys give up their own time to help others. So we need to help them." - @alphakinetic

Brain Noise - Alpha Kinetik

"The perils of being on a mental health ward (I think, in some cases, such wards make things worse), Set to the tune of My Favourite Things." - NickK

THE WARDS FAVOURITE THINGS - Juliette Louise x NickK

Promoting creative expression from shared mental health experiences

Creating a more Forgiving World,
One Lyric and One Song at a Time.

www.thenoisybrain.com
@thenoisybrainer

The Noisy Brain

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