During my time as Artist in Residence at The Alfred Hospital Psychiatric ward - an acute mental health facility - I used the flannel flower as a subject and focus for art play and experimentation. Flannel flowers are a Australian native bush flower that has been chosen by the Mental Health Council of Australia as its emblem due to its ability to adapt to new and different circumstances. Shaped like a bright star the flannel flower is the first flower to bloom after the ice melts. It survive's the harsh landscape and extremes in weather of the Australian bush including droughts, bushfires and floods - growing wild thanks to its strength, endurance and resilience. The flannel flower goes through struggle and tough conditions reflective of people who have experienced trying times and who live bravely with mental health issues. I used flannels in my artworks en masse as a motif of how common mental illness is and to demonstrate that sufferers aren’t alone.