Haunted house

This image of the haunted house was co-created by Sue Clyne and Anna Bean to show Sue’s experience of trying to cope with all the chores in her house. Sue told us that her main message was:

Do not give up. Trying to manage household chores can be hard, but if you keep going, pacing yourself and chipping away at tasks bit by bit then you can manage.

Sue also wanted to emphasise that although the image may look a little scary there was humour in it and that it was important to be able to laugh about things so they don’t get on top of you.

If you laugh about something it makes it 100% better.

To feel safe and secure at home and manage well around the house you can use some of the tips from our guide to living well with breathlessness like using breathing exercises, managing your thoughts well and pacing, planning and prioritising your activities. Also do keep active by doing sit to stand exercises throughout the day. This leaflet also has some handy advice about managing breathlessness at home.

Sue pointed out the pair of wings at the bottom of the image and said that they represent an angel helping her. She finds that there are always people who are happy to help you if you need it.

Lots of people viewing our exhibition have commented on this image and here are some of the things they said:

The part where the lady is seen to be carrying lots of bags across an icy surface represents the baggage she has to carry throughout her life with her condition.

Presenting the household cleaning equipment as monsters creates a powerful impression! Tasks we often take for granted can pose a real fear and struggle for a person suffering breathlessness.

Really makes you think about breathlessness in everyday life situations. Powerful!

It takes a lot of inner strength to overcome these things.

I feel like the eagle shadow represents strength which is a nice contrast to the scary mood of the art.

We would very much like to know what you think about this image. Do you agree with the things other people have said or do you have a different interpretation? Please tell us what the haunted house makes you think and feel by leaving us a comment below.

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