Exposure Asks: reflections of change and hope

Photo of some of the guys, the rest MIA but still with us in spirit. L-R: Betty, Neve, Yahvi, Dera, Amelie and Nataliya

Young women exploring the profound forces that affect our lives

Change and gratitude, two profound and universal themes.

Exposure is collaborating with a diverse group of young women from Woodhouse to explore how these forces shape our lives, with young voices leading the way.

This project invites us to reflect on transformation, growth, and resilience. As we navigate personal challenges, political shifts, and societal pressures, we’re finding creative ways to express our fears, hopes, and visions for the future.

Through poetry, storytelling, and creativity, we’re uncovering how gratitude can anchor us amidst uncertainty, helping us process and make sense of change.

This collective exploration connects our perspectives to a larger conversation about mental wellbeing, resilience, and the power of creativity. In the coming months, we’ll share these ideas through articles, podcasts, images, and other media, encouraging conversations, embracing hope, and offering support to those facing similar challenges.

Here are a few poetic lines that have already emerged

A vibrant flower. We tend to it with love and care, with water and light. It’s a friendship we share. I’ve been resisting change.

But she draws the curtains, obstructing the light. I drown the plant with water, forcing this fight. I’ve been persisting change.

Day by day, the colours drain. I pick the petals, each bent and wilting. I’ve been twisting change. – Neve, 17

The beat kicks in, my voice spreads thin, weaving between melodies and harmonies. I’ve been at one with change. – Maleeha, 16

In the night’s quiet, his scent lingers like a song. His kisses gentle yet they pull me along… Bound yet drifting, this love falls right and wrong. I’ve been wrestling change. – Dera, 16

The darkness takes me away as if I’m drowning in a deep dark hell, yet it’s only 4pm. The light has gone, it’s taken my soul, yet it’s only 4pm. I’ve been terrified to change. – Betty, 17

The cold, crisp air bites my nose as I sink deeper into the snow. I’ve been fighting change. – Scarlett, 17

I watch the TV, seeing the people I aspire to be. They’re the perfect age, sweet sixteen! Now I look in the mirror and I feel the not perfect age, the not so sweet sixteen. I’ve been becoming change. – Amelie 17,  Nataliya, 16

The darkness sucks me in when I leave my house. And it spits me out when I leave school. I’ve been despising change. – Yahvi, 16

Leaves fall down surrounded by green and orangey hues that lead me back to you. I’ve been contemplating change. – Maleeha, 16