Vulnerability Redefines Cool
We ask Lucy, an Art Therapist, about Em, vulnerability, healing and being awesome.
““I love this deconstruction that is happening lately of “the cool girl”, the one who is never bothered by anything. I think I bought into this “ideal” myself for a while, where I didn’t admit my vulnerabilities to myself, let alone anyone else.””
Tell us a little bit about yourself Lucy...
My name is Lucy Scott, I am an art therapist at HELP who works with youth aged 13-18 who are survivors of sexual abuse. I studied art therapy in New York where I worked in the foster care system, with children and teens. All of my clients there had been sexually abused so I unintentionally specialized in working with this type of experience and got swept away in how powerful and healing the work could be. And needed, unfortunately.
What has being a part of creating Em meant to you?
Em is so so close to my heart that I get energised talking about it and sometimes a little teary seeing it come together. I have always been struck by how lonely and isolated people can get when they have been through sexual abuse.
I have this spitfire younger cousin Mia who would post these loving messages to her friends and links to discussions about issues that effect females, like slut-shaming, and I thought, how can I connect Mia to the people who need her? Through developing Em with HELP and the team at Curative and the co-design team I realised we are all Mias and we can connect to each other and lift each other up. Wow, there I go getting energised again!
““I have always been struck by how lonely and isolated people can get when they have been through sexual abuse.””
How do you feel about current attitudes and behaviours around sexual harm?
The current landscape is a little bleak, the statistics are not good and there are still a bunch of social myths around abuse that confuse matters. BUT people ARE talking about this stuff more and more, and the internet is providing a space for women to get inspired by each other and learn from each other's experiences, so the landscape might be bleak but the weather is changing.
What does 'strength in vulnerability' mean to you?
I love this deconstruction that is happening lately of "the cool girl", the one who is never bothered by anything. I think I bought into this "ideal" myself for a while, where I didn't admit my vulnerabilities to myself, let alone anyone else. But then I realised that I was just making life easier for the people around me and harder for myself, by not being true to my own needs.
Admitting to vulnerability is a strength because it gets you in touch with who you are and what you need, and ultimately that helps the people around you too, because they get to know you better and you can connect in a more genuine way. So, now I am a bit more emotional, a little more vulnerable, and a lot cooler.
““I think I bought into this “ideal” myself for a while, where I didn’t admit my vulnerabilities to myself, let alone anyone else. But then I realised that I was just making life easier for the people around me and harder for myself, by not being true to my own needs.””
What do you do to stay awesome every day?
I talk feelings with my friends, I laugh with my family. I love to draw and paint, it relaxes me and keeps me playing and every now and then I do something I really like. Also a hot shower before bed is changing my world of sleep.
What words of advice would you give to every young woman going through a tough time?
When you are in a tough time it feels like you always have been there and you always will be there, especially if something really bad has happened. But you can get through it with some basic tools that can help even if times are REALLY bad.
Also, connecting to others really helps too, and if you can't talk to friends or family, counsellors are there so you can get all your worst stuff out without having to worry about their feelings. Sometimes just saying it and having someone go, "I understand why you are feeling that way , you are not going crazy" is a real big relief.
““When you are in a tough time it feels like you always have been there and you always will be there, especially if something really bad has happened. But you can get through it with some basic tools that can help even if times are REALLY bad.””
Who is a kick-ass lady who inspires you?
All the ladies at Help. They kick-ass and they do it 24/7. They get up in the night and go on call outs. They sit and listen and give respect. Help is rad and we are lucky to have it and I am lucky to be a part of that community.
Also my mum she is real good at telling stories and singing songs.
What are your hopes for the future of women?
Same as my hopes for the future of men. Happy peaceful lives lived the way they want to be lived.
