Sarah Grove-White
Dear Colleague
‘Dear Colleague’ was a 5-week online textile art project with staff from Cardiff University, that set out to explore the personal lived experiences of menopausal women in the workplace. The project aimed to discover if women were being listened to and supported during this transitional period, and what more, if anything, could be done to offer further support and raise further awareness.
There were ten participants involved - eight women actively engaged in the making, and the Health and Wellbeing Manager (who was male) along with the HR Manager attended to witness and learn from the women and the outcomes of the project.
Exploring menopausal symptoms and personal stories through conversations, making and creative writing laid the foundation on which to develop individual ideas and to explore shared experiences. Over the course of the 5 weeks the participants began to feel less isolated, less anxious, more connected, heard and more positive as commonalities of experience arose; and the managers more informed from the group’s sharing’s, having narratives reframed in a more positive light.
Through the NEF 5 Ways to Wellbeing in particular Connection, Learning New Skills, and Taking Notice a range of ideas emerged over the 5 weeks. We focused on exploring mark making techniques as equivalences of experience, creating metaphors for feelings and experiences, illuminating themes of what a positive menopause might look like within creative writing, and developing agency through individual interviews carried out at the end. Participants worked independently of the sessions delving deeper into their own experiences using the new practical artistic and textile skills they had learnt, and incredible outcomes emerged.
At the end of the project the women were invited to take part in a short filmed one-to one interview to speak of their experiences in more depth and on the impact of the project. This film is my response to their time, honesty and a celebration of their art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6csKSjOOlVU
“It has enabled me to reflect and spend some time thinking about where I currently am in relation to the menopause and how I’ve been dealing with it and the symptoms, which I hadn’t been doing that well. Taking part in the project has enabled me to look at my menopause story through several different lenses and to consider it from a number of angles.”
“I had been feeling very alone with my menopause symptoms and these workshops have made me feel more connected - part of something bigger. I have particularly benefitted from hearing the more positive stories of colleagues who have gone through menopause and are reflecting back on it. This was really helpful.”
Where Did She Go?
The smart woman, well put together, the safe pair of hands
The never too busy to take on yet more
Her 50th came, her waistline went
Brain fog swirled in: she needed to write it down
It was dark, she was lost and so very sad
Tears swam in I’m not a crier she would say, and yet she could not stop
Worst of all, her stylishly coiffed hair fell out in clumps
She cried even more and wondered again, where did she go?
She was hot, then cold, felt crumpled and old
Decisions were made, she stepped back from the hullabaloo
She hung up smart suits and killer heels too
She took a new job that was rewarding to do
She felt respected and valued
Confidence grew
She swapped the 6.23 to Paddington for the 8.13 to Cathays
She had lunchbreaks!
She heard the birds singing in the Remembrance Gardens
Mourning soldiers who had died or mentally wounded
She noticed the flowers, the birds, and scents in the trees
The healing began, the family rallied, our turn to look after you
Relationships healed, truths were told, discoveries made
Darling daughter left home, and she looked on with pride
As they excelled in their lives and sailed upwards with ease
Boats across the water, exciting and delighting
A long serving marriage was refreshed anew
A wonderful man, patient and strong
Caught her, loved her, no words need be said
Who was this new woman, so gentle and kind?
Simple pleasures were restored
There was time to do and time to go
Grandchildren were born who melted her heart
These beautiful babes a girl and a boy
Where did she go?
She was right here, bathed in love and gratitude
She was calm, she found peace, she knew joy
Even better than before
Janet
Menopause Perspective
A womanly transition
A turbulent age
Hormones askew
Causing transitory rage
A shortness of tolerance
A sleep deprived haze
Cramps in the legs
And skin ablaze
But then……..
Chatting to others
And that perspective becomes limited
Not everyone suffers
And joys not prohibited
Peer support awash
With hints, tips and wisdom
And there’s much to be celebrated
About this womanly transition
Karen
