Liz Atkin

Date: June 2025

Ep 30

Charcoal, Compulsion and Creative Recovery with Artist Liz Atkin

This episode of Creative Health Stories is a little different. Host Laura Bailey takes the podcast outdoors to the Whitstable seafront for a conversation with artist Liz Atkin.

Liz shares her lived experience of dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking disorder) and how charcoal drawing became both a recovery tool and a powerful creative practice. Together they explore how creativity can transform personal health and support others in clinical and community settings.

It’s a candid and inspiring conversation about vulnerability, play, and the therapeutic potential of creativity.

Key Points:

  • Liz’s journey from theatre and dance to charcoal drawing.
  • Using creativity to refocus compulsion and anxiety.
  • The role of play and flow in improving wellbeing.
  • Workshops with NHS staff and the importance of creative breaks.
  • How creative health programmes face challenges in the current NHS context.

Links:

Socials:
@liz_atkin
@creativehealthstories