Eno Mfon, is a 26 year old British born Nigerian female who studied at Bristol University. She’s a freelance writer, who has written for the likes of BBC Sounds, Young Vic Theatre, The Royal British Legion etc. She’s also interested and has passion for illustration and digital arts which is a hobby that she does in her spare time. Enos fantastic drawings give a platform and spotlight for black culture and personal interests through her art. 

Enos creativity when it comes to her drawings stemmed from a personal motivation which came whilst doing her writing. In Enos words, “It’s a personal project for me because, as a writer I’m in my own head most of the time and it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. So art and drawing is a big release for me. I find drawing extremely therapeutic, it allows me to switch off my brain a bit and have fun and experiment with digital painting. Drawing is having a break from my full time job, which is writing but then it allowed me to put a spotlight on some amazing people who are doing amazing things in black culture in different industries and also a way of celebrating some of my friends who are doing amazing things”

Her biggest inspiration is her mother. “She’s an amazing woman, with an amazing career as a detective” Eno’s mum started off in the armed forces for the British Army and then became a police officer soon after before taking the next big step to become a detective for the Metropolitan Police. “She’s resilient and thats something that i’d always admired from her. She’s the glue of my family. It hasn’t been easy for my family in the recent years but she’s been a solid pillar in our house ”

Alzheimer’s became a discussion for Eno after her father was diagnosed with it a few years back. According to the NHS, Alzheimer’s is a progressive condition that starts off very slowly and then begins to become severe over the years. Unfortunately, it affects multiple brain functions which are needed for day to day interaction and movement etc. Eno decided to share it with with the world using her social media platforms because “it was a personal project for me and I wasn’t emotionally dealing with my dads condition very well and writing has always helped me in my life as a way of expressing feelings, it’s also a way for me to connect with other people but I felt like my dads illness was something that I was dealing with on my own and my family weren’t really speaking about it too much, we were just going with the flow but we weren’t really stopping to actually reflect what was going on” Instagram really helped Eno with connecting with other people who were going through the same thing and having the same emotions too. Eno then took her feelings and used it as a creative way of expressing herself and the way her family were feeling. It was a way of documenting the journey and the different life experiences that have come with her father having Alzheimer’s. Eno continued by saying “I wanted it to have meaning and also have an impact. When people read it they can see the beauty in our story because its not all bad. There’s a lot of hope in our story and theres a lot of life lessons that I have learnt along the way. This journey has really brought us (my family) together to communicate that with other people so they can see that in their most darkest and difficult moments, there is still hope and there is still a way in which they can go through their difficulties”

During the first few months of 2021, Enos father having Alzheimer’s has affected her in negative ways. In the earlier stages of her fathers Alzheimer’s she was able to have more of a place in helping take care of him. The more he declined in his health the higher the demand it had on Eno and her family. He needs much more help than even before. For example, he needs more help to stand and other things regarding physical aid. It’s affected Eno emotionally as her fathers inability to communicate has created a huge barrier. Before his condition became worse, Eno says that “I was able to chat with him and sing with him but now its very difficult now as he doesn’t understand us anymore. I can no longer emotionally or mentally connect with him and so I find that very difficult” Although the disease has brought a negative side of life, it has brought a positive side too. For example, Eno is now able to connect with others who are able to fit in the shame shoes as her. It’s allowed her to encourage people and bring her family much more closer than they were before. 

Enos advice to people who are looking or caring after someone who has Alzheimer’s or any neurological disease that’s affects communication is “to be open, speak to people, find someone that you can trust and open up to. Let them know how you truly feel. I know that you can feel a bit guilty about you’re feeling as you’re nit suffering with the condition yourself but its okay to feel not okay because it will have an impact on you. This disease will affect anyone in the house so its okay for you communicate when you’re struggling and have an outlet in your own way as well. When you’re caring for someone, you can easily withdraw yourself from the outside world but try and maintain the relationships you have with others and the things that you like and find joy in. And finally you’re not alone and somebody out there does understand what you’re going through”