k u .co. mind our y think re #IFeelBetterWhen W ellbeing matters. We know that poor mental wellbeing can have an impact on every area of our daily lives – it can have a negative impact on our physical health, it can affect our work, our relationships and our families – and it can sometimes last a lifetime. Yet good mental wellbeing can help us achieve our goals in life and is associated with positive outcomes such as social connectedness, educational achievement, and maintaining a home, a job and relationships. So, what is good mental wellbeing and how do we achieve it? There are many factors that can influence our wellbeing. In Britain, we have become richer and we have more money to spend on possessions and holidays, but evidence has shown that this does not necessarily lead to increased happiness or improved wellbeing. Evidence has shown that the actions we take and the way we think will have the biggest impact - this is the way to improve how we feel about ourselves and our lives. In other words, we can achieve wellbeing through creativity and active community participation to give us a purpose and to generate an overall positive outlook on life. The winning artists and artworks in this book powerfully demonstrate this and make it unequivocal - the more we put into our lives, the more we are likely to get out. Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE 2 Foreword