Walshy

For over twenty five years, addiction controlled every part of my life. What began as recreational drug use in my teens gradually escalated into a life of addiction, crime and homelessness. Over time I lost my family, my self worth and any sense of hope for the future. I reached a point where I had accepted that this was simply how my life would end.

Everything changed in 2019 when I received a text message telling me that my sister, Katie, had taken her own life. That moment forced me to confront the direction my own life was heading. I made the decision that I was no longer going to use my past as an excuse to continue destroying myself. I contacted a homeless hostel, entered supported accommodation and began the long process of rebuilding my life.

It was during this time that my key worker introduced me to the Matthew Project. Looking back, I can honestly say it was one of the most important moments of my life. For the first time, I found a place where I felt accepted rather than judged. The staff and volunteers saw more in me than my addiction. They saw potential, even when I couldn't see it myself.

One of the weekly drop in sessions was a photography group. I had never picked up a camera before, but something about photography immediately connected with me. It gave me a way of slowing down, looking at the world differently and expressing emotions that I had spent years trying to bury.

When Covid arrived and everything closed, I bought a second hand camera and spent lockdown teaching myself photography through books, YouTube and constant practice. What began as a hobby quickly became an obsession and, for the first time in my life, I found something positive to completely immerse myself in.

That passion eventually gave me the confidence to apply to Norwich University of the Arts. I left school with no qualifications. Against all my expectations, I was offered a place and have just graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Photography.

Photography has transformed every aspect of my life. It has allowed me to rebuild my confidence, reconnect with people and create a career that I genuinely care about. Alongside building my photography business, I founded Evolving Canvases CIC, a community interest company that uses creativity to support people experiencing addiction, mental health challenges, homelessness and social isolation. Our organisation is built around lived experience, but is also underpinned by professional and academic qualifications.

What began as a simple idea has grown into an organisation that brings together artists, photographers and wellbeing practitioners to deliver creative programmes that encourage confidence, connection and recovery. We have secured grant funding, developed projects including Recovery Lens and Mindscapes, and continue to work alongside charities and community organisations across Norfolk.

Looking back, it is difficult to believe how much has changed. The person who once believed they had no future is now using the experiences that nearly destroyed them to help create opportunities for others.

None of this would have happened without recovery. The Matthew Project gave me the space, encouragement and belief to discover photography, and photography gave me a new identity. Everything that has followed, from graduating with a First to founding Evolving Canvases, has grown from that single opportunity to pick up a camera for the very first time.