Sian Ferguson

Sian Ferguson

Bio

Sian is a freelance writer interested in social justice and feminist activism. She's written for numerous publications, including Everyday Feminism, MassRoots, Matador Network, and Women24. She's currently based in Cape Town, where she spends most of her time reading, writing and kicking ass.

Sian Ferguson Articles

I’ve found that, when you’re depressed, keeping your hands and mind busy can be a lifeline. Image: Thinkstock

3 Ways Crafts Can Help You Manage Your Mental Health

The inimitable Alice Walker said, “When you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul.” As someone with multiple mental illnesses, I truly believe that crafting has soul-restoring properties.

Read...
There are so many of us who look at blood-drenched underwear and see nothing but hurt. Image: Thinkstock.

A Love Letter To Those Whose Periods Make Them Cry

[CN: pregnancy, miscarriage] Plenty of period-positive activists point out that the beauty of menstrual blood is that it’s the only blood that doesn’t arise out of trauma. What we discuss less often is the ability of menstrual blood to induce trauma.

Read...
image credit: Thinkstock

How I Learned About Sex, In 8 Vignettes

I’m fifteen. A man has come to our school to tell us girls how to protect ourselves from rape.

Read...
Working from home means your self-care might look a bit different from that employed by folks who work outside the home, but it definitely doesn’t mean you should forgo self-care altogether. Image: Thinkstock.

5 Ways To Practice Self-Care When You Work From Home

For many people — myself included — working from home is a dream. But it’s not all sunshine and daisies. Work is work, and work can be difficult sometimes.

Read...
Our braveness doesn’t make us valuable. Image: Christopher Campbell/Unsplash.

I'm A Rape Survivor — But Please Don't Call Me Brave

My story isn’t meant to hold a mirror to society and say, “You, too, can be strong like me.” It’s meant to hold a mirror to society and say, “You, too, are complicit in rape culture. Let’s work on that.”

Read...
Learning about fertility and reproduction — and noticing how my body could play a part in helping someone have a baby — was absolutely mind-blowing. (Image: Thinkstock)

Would You Donate Your Eggs? 4 Reasons I Did

I felt like my body held some kind of magic — magic I always saw in other people, but not in myself. Because despite all the pain I had been through, I was able to use my body for something beautiful.

Read...
"My uncertainty scares me – but I’m slowly learning to be okay with it." (image credit: Thinkstock)

I Don't Know How To Describe My Sexuality — And That's OK.

Lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, biromantic, gay – these are all terms which could apply to me. You’ll find though, that people usually only want you to choose one.

Read...
What exactly is it that gives a date so much power?  Image: Adina Voicu/Pixabay.

Commemorating The Anniversary Of My Trauma Helped Me Heal From It

March is always an awful month for me. In Cape Town — my home town — March marks the beginning of autumn. Summer’s exhilarating heat comes to a sobering end. Sweltering afternoons and nights spent around the fire ominously disappear, soon to be replaced by gusts of winds and air so cold it literally hurts your face.

Read...
Some people understood me immediately. They too had been suicidal, and they could empathize easily. Image: Thinkstock

What My Suicide Attempt Taught Me About Love

Suicidality is a strange thing. Sometimes you think you’ve shaken it off, but it’s actually still there, quietly brewing under the surface until something triggers it.

Read...
"Being unable to work for a day because of depression can threaten my financial stability, as I have no nest egg to fall back on." Image: Thinkstock

How Do You Navigate Mental Illness When You're Working-Class?

Taking care of your mental health is expensive. What happens when you don’t have the means to seek the help you need?

Read...