Mental illness, like friendship, trust, and love, is an abstract concept. There is no mark that identifies a person as having mental illness, no secret freckle or mysterious blemish. But what if there was?
That was the inspiration behind this photo shoot. I teamed up with my new friend, Megan Bishop, to photograph some wonderful models. Each girl chose a mental illness/disorder, and Megan helped them translate their choice into makeup.
Here are the results:
Carly - Eating Disorder
Megan - Schizophrenia
Sydney - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Norah - Bipolar Disorder
Jenna - Anxiety
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For every person, mental illness looks a little bit different. Our idea of what it looks like is shaped by our own experiences; maybe this images will resonate with you, maybe they won't. Maybe they will help you shape your own concepts of what mental illness looks like.
My hope is that we will look at these pictures and realize that a face clear of vibrant colors and patterns is not a sign of a clear life. When we look at other human beings, we can't see their struggles and their pain. It's imperative that we go through life treating others with respect and understanding. We don't know their circumstances.
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Thank you again, Megan, for agreeing to collaborate!
(Click her name to check out her page)
