Darshan: So now that we've reached a stage in the COVID virus situation where people have been at home the whole time, they've been drowning in their own thoughts. And this has been a time when mental health practitioners are questioning the impact on individual health. Here are five artists who are inspired by mental health conditions.
Darshan: The first is Jayoon Choi, and this person has created this art piece called The Bottom of the Anxiety. "There's a moment when you can't help but sink deep down, attacked by spiteful thoughts, 'Oh dear, I was the monster.'" So, it's when you start attacking yourself, that's what mental health conditions often feel like.
Darshan: Your Pain is My Pain by Paula Scotter. And this represents the dysfunctional patterns in relationships as the expectation that if you put someone else's needs before your own, somehow this will make you happy. You allow yourself to be treated badly and have fewer boundaries. And then you wonder why you feel so hurt and alone. And again, that reminds me of relationships I've been in. And right now with these close quarters, I imagine it feels familiar to a lot of people.
Darshan: The third artist is an artist, Emma Haddow. And she created a piece called Tiger Shark And Me Sit Down For Tea. And she describes her piece as, "I've struggled with anxiety and depression since I was a teenager. There have been times when it has crippled me and I was afraid of everything. I started to face my fears, my demons head on, and I still do. It's scary in the dark, but what's more scary to me is denying and suppressing what lurks beneath the surface. My mental health is good these days. My dark days are still here, but I no longer turn them away."
Darshan: The fourth piece is called Depersonalization, by Morgan Paige. So she responds to this by saying, "I drew this after I realized that I was experiencing episodes of depersonalization. I had been experiencing them for a while, but I never knew what it was. Once I found out that it had a name, it all made sense. It feels like you're detached from yourself. The head could eventually be reattached and I could feel like myself again."
Darshan: So you have four pieces so far is, At The Bottom of the Anxiety Swamp by Jayoon Choi, Your Pain Is My Pain by Paul Scotter, Tiger Shark And Me Sit Down For Tea by Emma Haddow, Depersonalization by Morgan Paige. The fifth one is a piece called Mind Vomit. "And this represents the daily conversation within my mind. Anxious thoughts, depressive thoughts, sub thoughts and thoughts about the thoughts, constant critical commentary and a tornado of darkness, numbness, and complete inner turmoil." So those are top five artist works inspired by mental health conditions. If you think I missed any pieces, feel free to leave a comment. If you think that there are artists that I should have talked about, please feel free to leave a comment. If not, just hit the like button.
Narrator: This is the DarshanTalks Podcast, regulatory guy, irregular podcast. With host Darshan Kulkarni. You can find the show on Twitter @darshantalks or the show's website at darshantalks.com.
