Poet and artist Ronald Amanze shares how creativity, purpose and community have helped him live well with dementia.
What happens when creativity becomes a lifeline after a dementia diagnosis? In this Q&A, we hear from Ronald Amanze — a poet, artist, and former record producer who ran a workshop at the most recent Only Connect! symposium.
Ronald reflects on poetry, purpose, and rebuilding his sense of identity through art. He also discusses his connection to Hull Online MSc Dementia Programme Director Ellie Robinson-Carter.
Read on to discover how creativity, trust, and community can help people continue living purposeful, fulfilling lives.
How did you become a poet after your dementia diagnosis?
I used to work with artists because I was a record producer, but I never saw myself as an artist.
I've now defined myself as an artist, after having a couple of strokes and being diagnosed with dementia and other health concerns. When I was falling out of the world or on the battlefield with life, I found the best way to communicate was right there, in my thoughts.
When people saw the things I wrote, they started to tell me, “That's poetry.” I thought, "That’s amazing. How can something that has come from a chaotic and sad situation be regarded as poetry?” They said, “It's art – you're an artist.” So, I said, “Okay, now I’m an artist.”
How did you first meet Ellie?
A few years ago, I felt as though I was giving up on so much of life. Or rather, I was being encouraged to give up on life, and I wasn't doing very much.
Then I met Ellie [Robison-Carter] through a gentleman called David Truswell. They were working on a project together and included me on the basis of genuine co-production and meaningful inclusion.
The Photobook Project invited people from a wide range of communities living with dementia to document what mattered to them using a single-use camera.
At the time, I found that incredible because, after my stroke, nobody had encouraged me to be involved in anything purposeful. Nobody expected me to be anything other than reliant on services.
Ellie helped me feel that I could contribute again at a time when I no longer felt relevant to life in many respects.
Read our interview with MSc Dementia Programme Director Ellie Robinson Carter.
What do you hope people will take away from your story?
I hope they understand that despite all my health concerns, every day I feel amazing. Every day I'm full of enthusiasm for life. I still live with a lot of purpose, and my purpose is fuelled by the creative activity that I'm involved in. I'm writing poetry, still working with other artists, and producing music.
It would be nice if people understood how well you can live, despite popular misconceptions about someone who has a disability, brain injury, mental illness, or dementia. We can still live very purposefully and very wonderfully.
Ronald's story challenges many assumptions about dementia, disability, and creativity. His experiences show the importance of inclusion and meeting the person where they are, beyond their diagnosis.
These values sit at the heart of the University of Hull's MSc Dementia. As a student, you'll explore compassionate, person-centred approaches grounded in lived experience and research.
