Scroll slowly.
Open what draws you in.
Stay as long as you like.
Every voice here deserves to be met with time.
Scroll slowly.
Open what draws you in.
Stay as long as you like.
Every voice here deserves to be met with time.
People think I have anger
problems...
But, actually I'm scared of
confusion....
The Living Archive
A growing collection of poems, artwork, letters, zines, conversations
and creative work by care-experienced people across the UK.
This isn't an archive of what happened to us.
It's an archive of what we create.
The Aftercare Living Archive
A collection of writing, artwork and reflections created
by care-experienced young people and adults.
Read slowly.
Pause where you need to.
Return whenever you wish.
I thought I needed a map.
What I needed were markers.
Small lights.
Safe places.
People who said: keep going.
The path arrived later.
I thought I needed a map.
What I needed were markers.
Small lights.
Safe places.
People who said: keep going.
The path arrived later.
I thought I needed a map.
What I needed were markers.
Small lights.
Safe places.
People who said: keep going.
The path arrived later.
I thought I needed a map.
What I needed were markers.
Small lights.
Safe places.
People who said: keep going.
The path arrived later.
I am not the final edit
you see here today...
I know I'm a draft in progress...
I wish adults remembered...
I'm not done growing.
I'm not the final edit.
Being heard, feels powerful...
Get your own words.
Words
Word
Words
I wish more people knew...
That being in care doesn't mean
I'm going to fail in life.
I still have dreams.
To Younger Me,
I know it feels like the world is against you and you have no choice.
However, at the ripe old age of 19, I can tell you it does get better.
I will admit it is tricky.
It's so tricky.
You will spend so many years feeling like no one is listening and all your shouts and screams, are falling on deaf ears.
But, one day out of the blue things start to look up.
These shouts and screams break the
barriers and things start happening...
I know it feels like you're going nowhere in life because you have moved about so much that meant you missed so much school.
But, there are still opportunities out there,
if you know what I mean
I barely scraped by getting higher education qualifications and now I'm going to college to be a Social Worker and I am now part of CLNM.
(CARE LEAVERS NATIONAL MOVEMENT)
Yes, you have faced so many set
backs in life but that just means
you have to push back harder and
scream in the faces of those who
tell you that you will go no where.
You tell them to "sod off".
Prove them all wrong.
You can do it, just like no one
believed you would become a
life guard and you proved them
all
wrong and had the job for
three years.
So, yes you can do it.
I know it feels like you're going nowhere in life because you have moved about so much that meant
you missed so much school.
But, there are still opportunities
out there, if you know what I mean
I barely scraped by getting higher education qualifications and now
I'm going to college to be a Social Worker and I am now part of CLNM.
(CARE LEAVERS
NATIONAL MOVEMENT)
To Younger Me,
I know it feels like the world is
against you and you have no choice.
However, at the ripe old age of 19,
I can tell you it does get better.
I will admit it is tricky.
It's so tricky.
You will spend so many years
feeling like no one is listening and
all your shouts and screams,
are falling on deaf ears.
But, one day out of the blue
things start to look up.
These shouts and screams
break the barriers and things
start happening...
