Negin Chahoud helps people feel less alone with her Letters of Love project

The refugee and visual artist from Bowral, has been asking people to write their inner thoughts on postcards as part of her Letters of Love Project.

The project, which has been running for five years, started when she needed to find an outlet to process her past traumas.

Born in Iran, Ms Chahoud and her grandmother fled to Pakistan, where they hid from smugglers in the dirt and huts, before they were granted permanent residency in Australia, where they initially stayed in hostels.

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The loss of her mother at seven months old meant she did not have "motherly support", when she welcomed her first child into the world.

"I found the past trauma of everything I had gone through came back with a vengeance," she said.

"I was diagnosed with depression and needed to find an outlet to find myself, and let myself be a better parent for my daughter."

She found that writing letters to herself allowed her to "breathe" and "be more at ease" with herself, and thought others might also find it therapeutic.

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To test the idea, she took a handful of cards to a mother's group, and it was a hit.

This prompted her to post about it on social media, which engaged people on the other side of the world.

About 480 cards have been painted, or drawn on with a positive message so far, from people in Sydney, the East Timor and other locations.

"I wanted to get a community together to be there for each other," she said.

She held her first workshop at the Blacktown Arts Centre, and recently held one at Creative Space Southern Highlands on International Women's Day.

All the attendees had the chance to read their cards out.

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The visual artist hopes to create an interactive exhibition with all of the cards, where people can pick them up and read them.

"It's just all about getting everyone together," she said.

"I want them to know they're not alone, I don't want them to feel they're not loved."

Learn more about Negin via her Instagram page @negin_chahoud.

She is holding a solo art show at the Wotso art space in Pyrmont, in collaboration with Nationwide Curating, which will be on display until May 19.

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