We all belong here.

Going from highschool to university has been both great and stressful. It's nice to have more freedom with what I can do with my life, but I still feel as if I'm trapped in a way. Having to balance the pressure of completing all my university work while making money with casual jobs and just generally wherever I can is very stressful. I almost have no time to do the things that I enjoy and that make me happy.

I'm surrounded by people who are put under the exact same pressure, yet I still feel alone in the struggle because at the end of the day it's up to me alone to get everything done for myself. It sucks that such a shared experience amongst young people today still feels so isolating and lonely, like it's you against a world that's throwing everything at you to keep you down. You just have to keep your head up and keep going, so you don't get left behind.

My art frames the visual aesthetics around the words “sorry for disturbing” because loneliness feels like not wanting to reach out for fear of annoying others. Especially as an international student, when I moved countries it felt like standing on a cliff – as depicted by the cliffs on the right. Moreover, the brown figures are supposed to be humans [below the word ‘disturbing], but there are people disconnected from the one person [left].

Starting university was a really strange time for me. I come from a low socioeconomic background and experienced a lot of stuff in my childhood that convinced me I was never going to have a nice future of my own. University definitely wasn't in my plans - no one in my family had been before, so when I started uni I was already feeling like an outsider. I felt like I didn't belong (major imposter syndrome!). I was excelling academically, but struggling in every other way. I was at mental rock bottom because I couldn't keep up with university. I was missing deadlines, missing most of my classes, and put zero effort into making friends. I craved the connection though, and often felt sad looking around me at uni and seeing my fellow peers talking and laughing together. It was worse in second year because by then, everyone had their established friend groups. It made me not want to go to classes anymore because I'd often be one of the only ones who was sitting there without someone to talk to.

I desired connection and new friends (as my current friends do not go to university), but my energy and time was focused on being in survival mode - grappling with severe anxiety and severe depression. My struggles with university started to make a lot of sense last year when I found out it was undiagnosed ADHD and I'd just flown under the radar my whole life due to exceptional grades and being very quiet/reserved - teachers wouldn't have had a reason to suspect anything. This was a big wake up call for me.

This year has been a lot better - I was medicated for both depression and anxiety (after two years of therapy) and it was the best choice I could've made, my mental health improved significantly. It's amazing the energy you can put towards things when your energy is no longer being used up trying to battle your own mind. I put myself out there in various opportunities both within and outside of university, I gained a few casual jobs, began volunteering in the community, and started making connections/networks. It's given me some confidence in myself, to the point where I'm actually looking forward to being back at university next semester (surprisingly!).

I grew up in Tasmania with an abusive parent. Finally able to leave home at 16 I was afraid to be judged and didn't know how to ask for help. I couch surfed, stayed in womans shelters even found a way to sleep at school all to avoid anyone knowing I didn't live at home. I lied on my resume and stole clothes to get work in retail. I felt pressure to work instead of attend school. By 18 I was a manager in a job that truly exhausted me, I had given up on music and art and pushed away friends, but at least my named was finally on a lease. By 20 I'd attached myself to an awful boyfriend in hopes his finances could help me move to Melbourne as moving across tassie didn't feel far enough away from my abuser.

Now I'm 23 and in an awful rental with black mold, 1 non working fire alarm, a leaking gas oven etc but I finally feel home. I live with my 2 best friends who have introduced me to their friends and I know I'll never have to truly be alone again. With their encouragement I was finally able to ask for help. I am on dsp payments while I work on rebuilding my health, confidence and skills. Not finishing highschool makes career options more limited but I'm working towards tattooing. Learning to let myself enjoy old hobbies and forgiving myself for taking time away from work that didn't make my life worth living. I finally feel like I can start my life.

We need more truly safe spaces where teenagers can ask for help without consequence. Centrelink intentionally makes process for applications drawn out and difficult when people need it most.
Housing assistance, I'm sure you're aware but all my friends live week to week. No one feels secure, non of us will ever afford their own home without outside help.

我的双眼望向天空

在能听见江的阁楼里

汽笛阵阵传来

浪声忽明忽暗

捉摸不定

就像你的心

我把自己拜托给回忆和长江

爱情 是一

个人的事情

存在于

我和我的阁楼里

My eyes look up to the ceiling.

In the attic where I can hear the river, the horns come and go.

The sound of the waves are sometimes vibrant and sometimes dim.

It is unpredictable.

Just like your heart.

I entrust myself to memories and the Yangtze River.

Love is a personal matter.

It exists in me and my attic.

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