Shared Stories

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* 1. Hello, my name is Clodagh Molloy, and I am a Contemporary Art Jeweller.

Originally conceived as a My Master project, to address the subject of mental health. " Shared Stories" has developed an ongoing Art practice in which each iteration and exhibition the project collects more and more stories. These continually collected personal stories are then translated into jewellery and body adornments. Each one adding to the larger body of work.
My aim is to communicate individuals’ stories and experiences of mental health through jewellery. The jewellery is the focus of an interactive exhibitions, which originally took place in the National College of Art and Design, Thomas Street, Dublin in June 2022. " Shared Stories" has since travelled around Ireland and to Brazil, Germany, Romania, France, Spain, Moldova and hopefully further afield in the future.

The theme is to explore and design, jewellery objects made to initiate a dialogue around the subject of mental health. As an action against the prejudice and discrimination traditionally associated around the subject. I want to create an open and non-judgemental dialogue of education and understanding. The jewellery I am creating from stories shared with me can serve as a starting point for a conversation about its meaning and its context within society. For me this is significant as I have found that intergenerational shunning of emotions has led to the inhibition of expressing our true feelings for fear of ridicule. Mental health issues and challenges are exacerbated by stigma and discrimination which can come from a variety of sources like society, family members and social media.

However, in order for me to continue creating these exhibition's I need your help. I am asking for a leap of faith. I am inviting you to share with me your experiences around this topic. It can be a personal story, or it could be an experience that you have been through with a loved one.
One of my own stories that has been translated into jewellery was my struggles with post-natal depression on my second child. Another example of my journey is the story of how I never knew of a family member that had been institutionalised in the 1940’s until I interviewed family members about my family tree. My final story is about the unhealing pain that rises and falls over time from the passing of my mother.

A shared story could also be how you coped through the Covid 19 pandemic. How you feel about returning to ‘normal life’. Perhaps the anxiousness you might feel when you are on the bus or in the supermarket.
I would really like your experience to be in the form of a short story. Written in the answer area below. It can be written offline and copied and pasted into the answer box for convenience. Your story can also be in the form of a voice recording.

To help you in your decision as to whether or not to participate, let me tell you that I am not collecting or showing any identifying information given in your shared account. I will only ask you to give me an email if you want to be kept informed about the jewellery made from your shared story. Also, of you would like one of the jewellery pieces send to you as a thank you.

What is the long-term goal for this project? The jewellery that I make for this exhibition I hope to exhibit further in other exhibitions beyond Ireland. My intention is to continually make jewellery from shared experiences in Mental Health for years to come as part of my artistic practice.

I must make you aware that any information or shared experience given to me, is passed on with informed consent. Which in this case is the full knowledge that I cannot personally provide you with any form of therapy as I am not a counsellor or trained in any kind of mental health support. I also do not want you to be affected by your sharing. I would ask that you take a moment to be sure t

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* 2. If you have recorded your story please email it to clodaghmolloy@hotmail.com

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* 3. Please enter your email ONLY if you would like to have further contact about your shared experience: i.e. images of the jewellery made etc.