Painting a New Path - Brad Turner
From THE CLINK by Podshape
February 23, 2026 · 58 min · Season 19 · Episode 9
About this episode
Brad Turner shares his journey of overcoming a devastating injury and battling depression through art and personal rediscovery.
In this episode of The Clink, Brent Simpson sits down with proud First Nations man and renowned Indigenous artist Brad Turner. Brent and Brad first met over 20 years ago playing rugby league on the Gold Coast. Back then, footy was life — community, culture and mateship. But when a devastating workplace injury left Brad with permanent nerve damage and the loss of movement in his hand, everything changed. The phone stopped ringing. The identity he had built around sport began to unravel. What followed was a dark and dangerous battle with depression, self-harm and the overwhelming weight of feeling lost. In this episode, Brad opens up about the lowest points of his life — the moments where he couldn’t see a way forward — and the turning points that slowly brought him back. From the unwavering strength of his wife, to rediscovering purpose through photography, fitness and ultimately art, Brad shares how he rebuilt himself one day at a time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Brent Simpson
Guest: Brad Turner
Topics covered
- Indigenous art
- mental health
- personal journey
- depression
- resilience
- identity
- photography
Keywords
- Indigenous artist
- mental health
- depression
- resilience
- art therapy
- personal growth
- photography
- First Nations
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: First Nations
Places: Gold Coast
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