Author: Helen Sargeant

I am a visual artist, mother of two children aged 12 and 4, and co-founder of the MeWe arts collective. I intend to use this site to explore how my personal experiences as a mother informs my arts practice. To reflect upon the maternal in relationship to memory, loss, and mental health in particular depression and post natal depression. To investigate and explore emotional wellbeing through an expression of the mother-self in arts practice. As I approach the menopause, as my eldest son reaches his teenage years and as my youngest son begins school, I find myself shifting between the then and the now. I find myself re-looking and investigating my maternity.

Website: http://helensargeant.co.uk

Three in a bed….and a cat

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I often feel like a cat given the opportunity I will nap anywhere. Sydney my eldest son decided to set his alarm clock for 5.45am the other day, I got up, switched off the alarm. He rolled over went back … Continued

….still shattered

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I collect Naoise from nursery, when I arrive he is drawing a picture of pirates on a boat, he rolls up the drawing and hands it to me as a gift, my face lights up with love. He has been … Continued

Shattered

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Naoise slumbered as I got Sydney off to school. I noticed that Naoise had been picking his nose in his sleep and the end of one of his fingers was coating in blood. He wouldn’t wake, so I picked him … Continued

Notes on the end of breastfeeding

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I never planned to feed Naosie for four years, I just sort of fell into breastfeeding over a long period, and its been a really positive experience for both me and my son. Its been really good just to let … Continued

Naoise Birth

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Naoise Birth is a poem about the birth of my second son. It was a long, slow, and very painful labour, that was physically and mentally difficult. Physically difficult because I had a very large fibroid that had grown to the … Continued

New Labour

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Today I came across a whole series of photograph’s of me, my son and my first partner. I often get reflective at this time of year as it will soon be his birthday. Twelve years has past since this group … Continued