Morningside Drive

Morningside Drive shines a light on those often forgotten in our communities - people who battle with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and substance abuse related disorders. Those that tend to feel they don’t belong in society and often exclude themselves from interaction with the general public. Between 2019 and 2020, while working as a barista in New Zealand for a café who support their local community, together with a suspended coffee system, I connected with a group of individuals who all faced these issues on a daily basis. Through these interactions, I gained a new perspective on mental health from discussions with a few of the local indigenous people (known as Maori) and how they approach personal wellbeing. As the relationships developed, I was given the opportunity to take portrait photos of these individuals, while sharing stories and getting to know each other. Little did I know, the simple act of taking their picture seemed to give them a sense of pride and help restore some dignity, in a world where they were often discriminated against simply because of how they looked. For myself, working in a job that didn’t give me a sense of purpose, I found a small way to make a big difference in the lives of others and learnt some meaningful lessons from people that weren’t qualified to teach.