Final year BA (Hons) Fine Art student Connie Inglis is using her own battle with anorexia to create a visual record of her recovery in the hope of supporting others living with the illness.
Connie has struggled with anorexia since she was 10 years old, and was hospitalised three times over nine years. She was sectioned just over two years ago, in December 2015, after having been admitted to hospital. At the time she weighed the same as an average five-year old.
After spending six months on a specialist ward for eating disorders, Connie was discharged in May 2016. It was after her discharge she discovered the recovery community on Instagram, and decided to set up her own account my_life_without_ana to document her recovery and to inspire body confidence in others.
Speaking of her social media story, Connie said:
“I really love helping people and I think that it’s really important for people going through recovery to realise they’re not alone in their struggles”
Connie continues to explore the pressure on women to stay thin through her artistic practice. Her final piece uses the limbs of popular children’s dolls such as Bratz and Barbie, recreated from boiled and coloured sugar.
Connie’s story appeared on Inside Out: Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, on BBC One, Monday 5 February at 7:30pm. Catch up here.
