It was the joy in art that helped Ashlea Tulloch through teenage agoraphobia and depression, and she’s determined not to let other Shetlanders suffer in the same way.
At one point, the now 29-year-old had to leave school due to her poor mental health, but soon found solace in creative pursuits.
And, knowing instruments and art materials can be hard to come by, she has set up her own non-profit organisation to help others in difficult situations.
‘They can’t afford to… or don’t believe they can’
“There’s actually quite a lot of people in Shetland who don’t have very much, even though Shetland is quite a wealthy place and we do have really good services.
“But there’s nowhere that anybody can just go and say ‘I’m really struggling at the moment, I could do with something creative’.
“I wanted to have a place where people who either can’t afford to, or don’t believe they can be creative, have somewhere they can give it a go,” she said.
‘I don’t know where I’d be without music and art’
During her teenage years, Ashlea had her own mental health struggles, which she helped manage through creative outlets.
She explained: “When I was about 16, I ended up being diagnosed with agoraphobia and depression and I had to leave school.
“I didn’t really leave my house on a regular basis for a few years, it was bad, I tried to take my own life. Genuinely, what got me through it was music and art.
“I was a classic Shetlander and learned the fiddle when I was younger, but I also play other instruments and sing at home.
“I was so lucky that I did have that access and was able to use it as a coping mechanism or I don’t know where I would be.”
Turning a negative to a positive: The Purple Loft Project
Ashlea’s first-hand experiences with mental ill health are also reflected in the name of her new outfit.
She said: “The project is called Purple Loft Project because when I was younger I stayed in my attic room, painted purple at the time.
“I would spend all my time there because I wasn’t well enough to leave bed.
“I wanted to turn that negative experience into something positive and use it to name the project.”
‘Something everybody has an input in’
Ashlea’s project also allows individuals to be creative without having to leave their homes.
“It’s great if you want to do that, but if people are just making something for themselves in their own house that nobody has to see, it’s very personal and beneficial to them,” she added.
However, she also wants to set up a group for people to meet and share their passions.
“I want to put together a steering group of people with lived experience of mental health difficulties that are creative, from low-income families.
“We could get together maybe three or four times a year, so I can get ideas from the people who benefit themselves.
“I want it to be something that everybody has a bit of an input in.”
