The duo have been receiving a great response.<\/p>\n
What began in the corner of a living room with a tripod and an iPhone has grown into a grassroots movement that is opening up conversations about mental health across the Highlands.<\/p>\n
Headspace Highlands<\/a>, founded by Carly-Skye Fraser in October last year, is giving people a space to share recovery stories, build community and challenge stigma.<\/p>\n \u201cI started Headspace after my own struggles with mental health,\u201d said Carly.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was nobody really speaking openly about mental health recovery and what that looks like.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted it to be a stepping stone between feeling lost and reaching out for services. When you are in that dark place, it can be so hard to imagine getting back to yourself. Hearing recovery stories can give people hope.\u201d<\/p>\n Not long after Carly launched the project, she was joined by Shaun Matheson, who first reached out hoping to share his own experience.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the time I wasn\u2019t able to talk about what I was going through<\/a>, but Carly and I became friends,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cWe realised each other\u2019s skill set and I came on board as podcast editor. From there we decided to really make a go of it and self-fund so we could grow Headspace Highlands.\u201d<\/p>\n In its early days, Headspace Highlands was filmed in Carly\u2019s father\u2019s living room.<\/p>\n As the project developed, it moved from home recordings to producing both podcasts and street interviews<\/a> that quickly gained traction online.<\/p>\n \u201cWe decided to try these simple videos where we put a microphone on the high street and asked people one question,\u201d said Shaun.<\/p>\n \u201cThose videos blew up. We have nearly a million views across seven or eight clips, which shows that people are engaging.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about the numbers, but it does mean people are recognising what we are doing and wanting to take part.\u201d<\/p>\n The podcast remains at the heart of their work, now recorded at local venues such as the Milkbar in Croy.<\/p>\n \u201cRecovery stories are at the centre of what we do,\u201d said Carly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not about people going through something in the moment, because there are services for that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe focus on what recovery can look like and the hope that comes from sharing.<\/p>\n \u201cEven working with Shaun, I can say if I am anxious today, and that openness is something I never did before. That is what we want to encourage.\u201d<\/p>\n While Headspace Highlands has already become a familiar presence in Inverness, Carly and Shaun are determined to expand further.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment we are limited to Inverness because this isn\u2019t a paid role,\u201d said Carly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would love to get funding so we can represent more of the Highlands. People in places like Caithness often feel left out, and we want them to be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of their vision involves offering media services to businesses to help fund the project.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would love to be the Highlands\u2019 mental health content creators,\u201d Shaun said.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment, companies often bring people up from Glasgow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to bridge that gap and keep it local. That way we can sustain the passion project side of Headspace while also creating income.\u201d<\/p>\n They are also planning documentary-style projects exploring mental health in rural workforces such as farming, fishing and gamekeeping.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are really lonesome jobs,\u201d Carly explained.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to shine a light on what life looks like in those spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n For both Carly and Shaun, Headspace Highlands is rooted in personal experience.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat helped me recover was realising that being open with my experience made conversations easier,\u201d said Shaun.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more I spoke, the more normal it became. Meeting Carly and being part of Headspace came at the perfect time for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Carly added: \u201cFor me, recovery was about accepting that I wasn\u2019t weak.<\/p>\n \u201cNow when I speak to others who are struggling, I tell them they are brave. Headspace Highlands has empowered me as much as it has others.\u201d<\/p>\n The project has already attracted attention from festivals such as Belladrum and continues to grow in both reach and recognition.<\/p>\n But at its heart, Headspace Highlands remains what it was at the start: a space for honest conversations, created by two people who know first-hand the value of being heard.<\/p>\n Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here<\/a> to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print. Carly started the grassroots movement from her own experience.<\/p>\n
Shaun came on board when he was looking to share his own experience.<\/p>\n
Carly and Shaun form Headspace Highlands.<\/p>\n
They had the opportunity to interview artists and locals at Belladrum.<\/p>\n