Hank Gidney: Meditation & MS, a match made in the mind
Hank Gidney has dedicated countless hours conceptualising and creating artwork that illustrates the emotions and sensations he experiences daily. Through his work, he aims to portray his multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, providing a unique insight into his journey, as every case is different.
In 2018, Hank Gidney was a frequent flyer, and when he began to experience bad pains in his legs and feet, he assumed all that time spent at altitude had manifested in his body as a deep vein thrombosis.
“I was starting to lose sensation, not just in my feet but up to my knees and then thighs. I was really concerned because this was very odd,” Hank recalls.
“My GP directed me to a neurologist, who did further tests over 2-3 months. I ended up in hospital for a week and after the last MRI test, he diagnosed me with having MS.”
For Hank, a mixed media artist whose career has spanned 35 years working as a designer, art director and commercial artist, the diagnosis meant the stressful and demanding deadlines his career required became all that more difficult. Dealing with fatigue and the gamut of emotions MS brings, it required a new approach to life that ordinarily, one would take for granted.
“You don't function at the level that you could be functioning at, and you're conscious of the fact that you're having multiple conversations with yourself. You're having one about creative work and then you've got the other one in the background, which is MS."
“I've worked in my chosen profession for so long. Meeting deadlines is always a challenge. Those sorts of things have become increasingly difficult for me to do,” he recalls. “You have to be kind to yourself and work out what you can and can't do.”
Hank notes a significant part of his journey with MS has been the mental toll.
“I reached out to MSWA and was put in touch with Counsellor, Eve Parsons, and started having regular sessions to talk through everything from life, love, loss and grief. For me personally, I needed to make sense of this. What this condition meant for me going forward.”
Mindfulness and meditation for me is a way to have a different conversation, to say look, I know you're [MS] going to be in the room with me all the time. I know you're going to do this, but I'm not going to listen. I can live with this and that but it's not going to shout louder than anything else.
As part of MSWA’s Counselling and Wellbeing services, Eve is teaching those with MS and other neurological conditions to practise mindfulness as it is instrumental in reducing stress and chronic pain, accepting change, and appreciating the positives in life.
“This improves our Clients’ resilience as they deal with their symptoms and disabilities over time, and learning mindfulness in a group brings all the benefits of peer support and camaraderie,” Eve Parsons’ says.
As a trained artist, Hank has found solace through creating art that summarises his journey with the sometimes-isolating condition. He has spent a multitude of hours searching for a way to creatively visualise the constant background noise his MS produces.
“All of us have very different journeys with MS. For me, it's about understanding, and trying to experiment - find out what MS is like as a colour, as something that you see. What would it be if it was something that you could feel? Maybe it has a sound, a feeling,” he said. “Those things are just me trying to really understand in a way that makes sense to me, that may not make sense to anybody else.”
His most recent finished artwork is a self-portrait aptly titled I Can’t Hear You.
“I think a self-portrait is very contemplative, it's a bit of stillness and calm. There’s that place between where you feel at peace but everything else around you makes no sense,” he explains.
Looking to the future, Hank hopes to continue living his best life, on his terms. He is very aware MS is a condition that not only affects himself but also those who are closest to him.
“I'll try and do more things with family because they live with it too. It's their MS as well. Their life has changed because of me. One thing I like to do is go on regular bush walks, get some fresh air to clear mental space and spend time with my family.”
MSWA provides essential support and services to Western Australians with neurological conditions, ensuring they live life, not limits, and find ways to continue enjoying those things they love most – just like Hank.
