A woman has battled the traumas of domestic violence, as well as suffering from ADHD by unleashing her creative side.
Sue Khalil, 44, was raised in Warsaw with undiagnosed ADHD and lived with her single mother and sister.
“I grew up in a home where any kind of craft was cherished,” Sue recalled.
“Our home was full of nice things made by us.”
Her family were no strangers to adversity either, with them fighting in World War Two and being part of the underground army in Poland.
After moving to the United Kingdom 14 years ago, she ended up in Swindon in 2013.
Having got married three years before arriving in the town, she began to suffer domestic violence and things deteriorated quickly.
“My ex-husband came into my work and shouted, making a massive scene,” recalled Sue
“I lost my job and had no help. I ran away in 2017 and I was homeless.”
Sue departed Swindon during the Covid pandemic during 2020, moving to Highworth, and it was here that she founded her art project, HyperArt, a year later.
“I named it HyperArt because I am hyper ADHD and the art because of the work itself. The two halves represent me perfectly,” she explained.
Art and craft items such as dot paintings and handmade tea light holders were all on the itinerary for Sue, who found herself becoming more and more invested in her art as the pandemic raged on.
“I discovered dot paintings and have stuck with it for almost two years now,” she said.
The venture started out as a hobby, but soon Sue started to make sales, and subsequently, a profit.
“When the items started to take up too much space, I decided to start selling,” she said.
“The idea was to make the project self-sufficient as then I could afford more craft materials to make further items,” she said.
Yet it is not the money that is the real reason as to why Sue delves so deeply in her art
“I find it cathartic to do my art as it gets me in a certain mindset and calms my head down a lot. “My past made me who I am. My artistic creativity helps calm my ADHD,” explained Sue.
She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 30.
Upon reflection of all the negativity she has endured, Sue shared a positive outlook on her experience as a whole.
“That was a very nasty part of my life, but the art has helped the trauma though,” she revealed.
Despite moving from her birthplace in Poland, Sue very much considers the UK and the Wiltshire area her home.
“I have achieved more here in these 14 years than I was able to in Poland,” she remarked.
Sue also hopes that her art can help others overcome their problems like it helped her.
“With what I am doing, I want to bring happiness to other people’s live,” she said.
“Whenever they are feeling down, I would like them to have a piece of my art in their house because it is so colourful and made with love and care.”
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