Maggie's x Hallmark Partnership
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As one of Hallmark’s artists, I feel very privileged that in my role as a senior illustrator, I make work that helps people celebrate the lives, share memories and express experiences of others. Through my painting and drawing I help people to communicate special messages to their special people.
Just over a year ago, I spoke to my creative team about a growing desire to use my professional skills in a very specific and personal way.
Having lost my mum and dad to cancer and subsequently going through my own breast cancer journey, I felt compelled to somehow support people through their own journeys and experiences; the difficult, scary, and hugely overwhelming.
A fascinating discussion ensued. Our team openly shared their own stories, asked each other how they felt about saying or doing the ‘right thing’, chatted about what the ‘right thing’ was, and if it even existed. They spoke about feeling a little helpless in their quest to help relatives and friends through their cancer journeys. Collectively, they recounted the happy, difficult and funny moments that they had experienced. Many cups of tea were drunk, biscuits dunked and questions asked, and maybe a few were answered. Of course, the team were all in agreement that yes there had to be something I could do to share my personal understanding of diagnosis, treatment and beyond, and offer support to others when they really needed it.
As part of our charity strategy here at Hallmark, employees can nominate a charity that they want to support. This gave me a perfect opportunity to suggest Maggie’s. Maggie’s provides special and unique cancer care through its 24 centres around the UK. For me, the emotional, practical and psychological support I received in my local centre in Leeds, which is a beautiful and special place, meant so much to me. I wanted to use my professional expertise to highlight the wonderful work that Maggie’s does through a collaboration with Hallmark.
As an illustrator, visually communicating with warmth and emotion is my day job and I knew I could create something that could possibly help people know what to say when perhaps they really don’t. Sometimes it’s so hard to know what to say and what to do.
After extensive research, I discovered that a lot of conversation around breast cancer used ‘battle language’ and that just did not feel like me, it did not feel like my thoughts or my voice, and I couldn’t relate to that kind of language. If felt wholly inauthentic to describe my own experience in that way. Surely other people must think and feel the same way? I also felt some greeting cards were completely insensitive and lacking in any real empathy or understanding.
The result of all of all of this work is a collection of six special cards. They deliver their message with honesty, love and vulnerability. The cards are intended to be like a heartfelt conversation between sender and recipient that they can contribute additional words to or leave as is. The cards can be kept close in a pocket or bag, so those words and images of support, friendship, love, kindness, empathy, hope and resilience, can travel anywhere they are needed. Find out more about the range here.
If you want to learn more about Maggie’s and the incredible work they do, you can visit their website here and find your nearest centre.
Hallmark is proud to support Maggie's (Registered Charity Number: SC024414) with a donation of £5,000, which will be paid regardless of the number of cards sold.
maggies.org/hallmark