“It all started because I wanted other people to come and film the cricket field near where I live in Canada. I found myself saying ‘somebody should’. Every time I find myself saying ‘somebody should’, then usually that is a signal to say, ‘you’ll have to do it yourself’. And then when lockdown happened, I thought, well, here is an opportunity to get a drone and learn to fly it. Future Pathways helped me to get some training and certification.
At first, I thought that if I could combine beautiful landscapes with classical music, it would make some spectacular videos. Because it is a very different perspective when you are 100ft up in the air. And then I started to create some still images by taking parts out of the drone videos.
Then, because I was interested in old travel posters, I learned how to remaster images and how to blow them up large. And then from that, I figured out how to transform pictures digitally.
So, by combining all these things, I managed to create a type of art which I was not originally able to do.
I love taking the drone on holiday with me too, particularly to France. Every three metres, there’s something extraordinary to film!”
Above: Notre Dame de Camarès in the Sud Aveyron, France
Above: Mont-Saint-Hilaire and the river Richelieu, Québec
Above: Camarès, Le Balcon du Monde, France.
Above: Le Rougier de Camarès, France.
My name is Marie-Anne. I first became involved with Future Pathways to help find my care records and piece my life together. I don’t think I was fully prepared for the rollercoaster that would be presented with once I received my records and realised that I was definitely in fact a survivor of multiple childhood traumas.
I became homeless for quite a number of years and didn’t address the trauma until I reached my late 20s. By then, I had enduring mental health difficulties.
That being said, I don’t regret knowing what had happened to me in early childhood and teenage
years. It did take more than a decade though to take back my life and own my own journey.
I then found an organisation called Venture Scotland, where I took part in a personal
self-development outdoor adventure programme. That took nearly two years.
Eventually, I became involved with Future Pathways. I may be biased, but they became my
absolute heroes. I don’t think I would have had the chance to reach my full potential through
learning, education, and self-discovery, if it wasn’t for the all the support and encouragement from my coordinator Suzie and from Future Pathways as a whole.
With experiencing abuse and trauma in my past, I also wanted to reclaim my life and regain some form of empowerment.
So, I started a BA (Hons) Degree in Criminology with The Open University in Scotland. So far, I
have completed four years and graduated with a Diploma of Higher Education in Criminology. I
still have some way to go though: I have two more years left before I complete my honours
degree.
I really don’t know where I would be in terms of my self-worth and growth without the massive
contribution from Future Pathways.
‘Bellgrove street in the east end of Glasgow where I used to hang around as a teenager.’
‘Picture of the band Scheme. The tree has the Glasgow coat of arms. In the background is some of Glasgow landmarks – Glasgow cross, the Barras, the Royal conservatory.’
‘Denny Oliver – lead singer and songwriter of the Glasgow band called Scheme. The painting is in the Scheme of Easterhouse. Denny has also passed away. Mr Oliver wrote and sang songs that inspired the youth and his songs often touched on political issues of the day. Mr Oliver also worked voluntarily teaching guitar and piano to the homeless.’
‘My friend Robert Fullerton sadly now passed away.’
Write go on write I’m talking to my pen
Oh what a clever writer to write when I say when.
The crimson skies the rushing waves I’m thinking in my head
Oh what a clever thinker to think what I just said.
It is really such a lovely life it’s me who’s telling you
I know it’s me who’s talking but to whom am I talking to.
I’m really just a splendid chap rich in thought and health
but guess what I discovered I am talking to myself.
A thought a thought it’s just a thought my mind will think again to think of all the thoughts
I’ve had would cast me out in shame.
I thought I was a rock star my mind was running wild selfish thought’s all for myself sometimes
I’m like a child.
I thought I was a Christian to the world I’d be so good but it’s to the devil my soul I gave and
the words I speak are rude.
I thought I was a politician I’d save the world’s cries but I’m not different from the rest
I’m a liar in disguise.
I’ve thought in many ways of folk
But it’s just a shot in the dark life is good and bad at times.
What do you think well there’s a thought.
Chris has been working with Future Pathways for several years. He has been keen on drawing for as long as he can remember, and it has developed over the years. Chris told us:
“I used to mostly draw with a charcoal pencil – so that’s in black and white. But during lockdown I started coming out of my comfort zone a bit, and started doing colour drawings with graphite pencils. My friends often told me that they like them when I shared them on Facebook, and that the colour drawings cheered them up.”
Chris mentioned all of this to his Support Coordinator, and this started a discussion which ended up with them arranging an exhibition of Chris’s work in the Woodlands Community Meeting Room in Glasgow.
Above: Chris’s with his artwork on display at the Woodlands Community Meeting Room in Glasgow
Many of Chris’s drawings are of people, but they’re not all real people. Chris says: “I draw lots of stuff. I do things from TV shows or movie characters, or I’ll do cartoon characters or I’ll do superheroes. Things along those lines.”
But not all of Chris’s work is of made-up characters: “I sometimes draw bands of musicians and things like that.” And Chris uses this as a chance to share his work in a really lovely way.
“I go along to shows – plays or concerts – and I’ll pick a member of the band or the cast. Obviously I can’t draw them all, but I’ll draw someone. And then after the show, I’ll go to the stage door and I’ll present them with the drawing. Just as a little gift for them. People almost always ask if they are allowed to keep it! And I say, ‘Of course, that’s what I’ve done it for, it’s for you to take away.’ And they’re delighted. People giving me hugs and sometimes they’re nearly crying. It’s just very nice to see someone happy with something that I’ve done for them, and to see how much it means to them.”
Above: Chris’s work in the Woodlands Community Meeting Room in Glasgow
Ian started making model windmills when he retired about 12 years ago. Since then, he has made around 2,500 of them! Ian explains, “It’s just something that I taught myself to do because I knew all about them after working in the bush and on farms”.
Ian was of the generations that depended on windmills more than most because he grew up in rural, remote areas. Years ago in Australia, these windmills were everywhere, even in the suburbs. It was the main way for many people to draw water up to the surface.
Talking about making his windmills, Ian shares:
Ian, who recently turned 80 but says he feels about 40, makes windmills in all different colours. He has used football colours, Irish colours, aboriginal colours (red, black and yellow), and others are silver, like windmills in the bush. Ian made one in yellow and blue which was auctioned off to raise money for Ukraine. Another he made as tall as a door which raised $1500 for kids. He even presented one to a member of the Australian parliament who came to Tuart Place and took it back to Canberra with them.
Ian’s talents extend to other models too:
And now Ian’s windmills have even travelled half-way around the world to Scotland after he very kindly made one for Future Pathways, and we love it! As Ian put it, “it’s a little bit of Ian and a little bit of Australia, in the middle of Scotland.”
Tuart Place is a support service for adults in Western Australia who were in any kind of out-of-home care when they were children. Funded by the state government, it is based in the city of Freemantle, just south of Perth. Its motto is ‘growing stronger together’, and it provides a lot of different services, including counselling, social activities, informal support groups, training courses and records tracing
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