How a Burnley FC fan channels his creativity to cope with depression

Andrew Haworth, of Read, has been struggling with depression for years but has recently found solace in creating graphic design edits of Burnley FC players.

Having studied Film Studies at Liverpool University, Andrew transferred his creative skills to help him cope with his mental health problems.

His GP and mental health nurse encouraged Andrew to use something he loves as a coping mechanism and pointed to his love for the football club as a place to start.

Graphic design edits by Andrew (Image: Andrew Haworth)

Speaking on how he began his art therapy, Andrew said: “They knew that Burnley FC is my happy place, and watching games and just focusing on that is when I can be 100 per cent me.

“My love for Burnley FC is clear so they told me to put all my energy into that when I’m feeling low.

"I started just watching old videos of games and then moved onto making edits. I was just playing around on my phone and my partner said they were really good so I carried on.

“I struggle with intrusive thoughts so when I’m creating art it just takes my mind off things because I’m focusing on something I love.”

Andrew’s photo edits can take him up to an hour to create whereas he can spend up to six hours working on a video edit.

Impressively, Andrew does most of the editing on his phone unless something needs extra work on his laptop.

He is currently working on a video featuring the last season which is taking him more than six weeks to complete.

Andrew added: “This season has been one of the best experiences for me as a fan because of how well we’ve played.

“I reached out to Jay Rodriguez with one of my pieces and he replied saying ‘that’s brilliant’ which is amazing, so I’m hoping I can share more of my work with the club.

“I’ve also started doing work for other football clubs as well because I’m hoping to broaden my horizons with this.”

Burnley FC has been approached for a comment.