Collingwood star Dayne Beams using art therapy to battle his ‘mental demons’
Collingwood star Dayne Beams has taken an indefinite break from football to deal with his mental health and he’s using a new technique in a bid to “escape” his mind as he opens up about the depths of his battle.
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Collingwood star Dayne Beams has turned to art to help deal with his latest mental health battle.
The midfielder, who announced last week he was taking another indefinite break from football, is using art therapy as an escape.
Beams, 29, has started his own business — Health of Mind Art — to sell the pieces he’s created, including acrylic art, resin art and pieces of furniture featuring his work.
“Health of Mind Art has been created for people like me who suffer with mental demons,” Beams writes on the website.
“I’ve tried numerous activities/therapies to get outside my own head, and it wasn’t until I came across art therapy that I felt like I could escape from my mind.
“I plead anyone going through their own struggles to reach out for help and know that you are not alone.
“Even give art therapy a go – you might just surprise yourself, coming from someone who never considered themself ‘arty’.”
Pieces range in price from $250 for a side table featuring one of Beams’ artworks featuring a magpie, while acrylic and resin canvases range from $150-$400.
Beams has pledged to donate five per cent of every sale to Love Me Love You, a non-profit organisation that aims to empower and build resilience in young adults experiencing mental health issues and hardship.
It is believed there’s no time frame for Beams’ return to Collingwood after announcing last week he needed to step away from the game for the second time in six months.
In July, he described himself as “a broken man at the moment” as he revealed the depths of his struggles.
Beams is contracted to the Magpies for a further three seasons after rejoining the club via a trade with Brisbane at the end of 2018.
“Trying to improve my quality of life and meet the demands of playing and training for football at the elite level continues to be a struggle,” Beams said.
“My health and football have come to feel like competing priorities, which is not a position that is helping or enabling me to meet my responsibilities.
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“I have been trying to meet this challenge for a number of years but, with a series of debilitating recent injuries and my mental health a work in progress, I have reached a point where I know that stepping away from football is necessary.
“I want to thank all who have supported me and my family. I look forward to a brighter future.”
Beams played just nine games for Collingwood in 2019 in a difficult year where he’s battled his mental health, underwent hip and shoulder surgery and was admitted to hospital in September for a short stay after an adverse reaction to pain medication.
Originally published as Collingwood star Dayne Beams using art therapy to battle his ‘mental demons’