Hannah Daisy's Tatty Treasures

We first discovered Hannah Daisy on Instagram after spotting our jewellery in her colourful insta snaps - and as we delved deeper we loved how she touches on self-care, feminism and mental health in her work and imagery.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week this week, so read on as Hannah chats to us to help raise awareness, shares her advice and tells us what jewellery she wears to reflect her mood...

Tell us a little bit about yourself… I'm Hannah Daisy, I live and work in London. I work in mental health by day, and by night make art mainly about mental health, feminism and cats. I enjoy hula hooping, baking, using British Sign Language, tarot, hanging out with my cat, spicy food, peanut butter and drawing. I really hate the colour navy blue, sand and tinned baked beans.

When and how did you first discover Tatty Devine? Quite a while ago when I was at university. I lived in Norwich and there was a little boutique which sold lots of interesting independent artists work. I remember seeing a little record necklace and liking it a lot - the iconic design always stuck in my head!

Most treasured Tatty Devine design? I don’t think I have just one! I often get compliments when wearing my Butterfly Necklace. But the three jewellery making workshop necklaces I made are particularly special as they are personalised. I also love the Magpie Necklace - I’m drawn to the symmetry and I have the matching earrings too.

Do you wear jewellery to reflect your mood? Yes, often! I often wear either quartz or crystal pieces if I am not feeling great in the hope they provide some sort of protection. My new Rainbow Necklace in iridescent pastel (Tatty Exclusive - it's launching very soon!) makes me happy.

We love that at Make Daisy Chains your work raises awareness and starts conversations about mental health, self-care and feminism. What initially drew you to focussing on these subjects? I think because it's so close to home and it feels like there is no option to not focus on these areas. We have to keep talking about feminism, mental health and self-care and we can only do that if we are intersectional. I have recently started a new hashtag '#boringselfcare' to get people talking about all the boring things we have to do - but find difficult - when we don't have the energy to do them. Recognising that these tasks, such as doing the dishes, changing your bed  and cleaning up, are just as valid and as good for you as other tasks. It gets people talking, as it’s those small things that really matter.

What advice would you give to people suffering from mental illness? It’s Mental Health Awareness Week 8-14th May and this year the theme is 'surviving or thriving'. There are a lot of people out there struggling and just about surviving, especially among the black communities and LGBTQAI communities where rates of mental health problems are higher and access to services are harder.

My advice? Talk about it, find someone who will understand or you can join a (safe) online community - if you don't feel comfortable talking to someone in real life. I would urge anyone concerned about their mental health to see your GP - and be sure to find the right GP for you. Ask for therapy, the waiting lists may be long but it's definitely worth it. Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPTs) which provides Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as part of its services, also has  a self-referral programme. You can search your area plus 'IAPT' to see if your area has this available - and means you can bypass seeing your GP. If CBT is not for you, there are many other types of therapy, and you can always ask your GP to tell you what’s available in your area.

If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the Samaritans 116 123 (UK) / 116 123 (ROI). Recovery is possible. It can be slow and will definitely have its ups and downs, lapses and relapses, but don't give up.

What in your wildest dreams would you like Tatty Devine to design? I really like all the Halloween jewellery... I also wouldn't mind a custom portrait of my cat made in glitter and iridescent acrylic!

Keep up to date with us on: Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  | Tumblr

Share Article