MEN DO CRY
BY HUSAM AL-DEEN
Tackling the often unrecognised subject of male emotional expression, Husam Al-deen captures images of young men of diverse backgrounds expressing themselves.
‘Men Do Cry’ is an attempt to artistically convey the archetypal behaviors within masculinity, specifically consistent physical and mental strength, stoicism and career success, often tied to the traditional idea of being the primary financial provider in a family. The glorification of these ideas and the imagery enshrouding them on social media can potentially impact the health of all those subject to it.
Bringing together men of different walks of life, who are daily confronted by these toxic ideas through their work or social lives, the project seeks to show vulnerability and depth of character by opening the public to the private sphere, revealing the external reality of internal pressures.
The project hopes to further encourage dialogue concerning mental health so as a society we are prepared, with the right resources to handle the reality of our friends and families hardships, to take care of one another with love and empathy.
Foreword by Hadi Abbas
"Many men like myself struggle with the idea of being vulnerable and sharing emotions, and for those who grew up in my type of environment are often subject to ridicule and shaming for what are natural and healthy expressions of emotion...You can imagine how hard it is to say to another person out loud, 'I think I need some help.'" Simi Joseph Jaiyesimi
"I guess what we as men need to understand is it’s okay to cry, it’s a powerful thing. We are taught when we are younger that we should fear it, or it’s a sign of weakness, some men when they grow up allow themselves to be emotionally vulnerable - which I believe is far more strength than not having any emotions.. it’s okay to cry, emotional intelligence is surely the direction we want to flow towards.." Lewis Cassius
"It is easy to ignore how you are feeling and put in place an image of perfection and stability which is what I feel the majority of men do as this is seen as normal. We do need to change this norm and now would be a good time. Everyone is anxious" -Haruna Jebak
"Some like to talk, some do not. I suffer and I release by using the pain as my driver and motivator. Creating and crying are not far apart for me. Instead of imploding, I rather explode in tears and creative passion to soften the hardship of a young man in a concrete jungle" - Firas Hamdani
"I’ve learnt that showing emotion and being vulnerable as a man is actually a very rewarding thing. Showing emotion to others only allows for support from them so cut your losses and open up to someone every now and then!" - Mohammed Hosein
"I try to focus on the opportunity to grow as an individual, I pay attention to my breathing, it’s a great time to work on patience, kindness to others, exercise and much more. I don’t stay upset for long" - Alin Catlin Onnc
"Tears speak when words can't" - Ali Karim
BY HUSAM AL-DEEN
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a Movement Against Suicide — offering life saving services, provoking national conversation and bringing people together to empower everyone to reject living miserably and stand together against suicide.
On average,125 people in the UK take their own lives every week, with 75% of all suicide in the UK being male. CALM runs a free and anonymous helpline and webchat service from 5pm to midnight 365 days a year. CALM takes 12,000 calls and webchats every month, and in 2019, directly prevented 588 suicides.
CALM also brings people together with collective action around interest points like running, football and art to drive cultural change and empower communities to better support the mental health and wellbeing of themselves and those around them.
Just £8 pays for a potentially life-saving call to CALM’s helpline. For more information, visit thecalmzone.net.