Tag Archives: Society
A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On. What do you want to see: me or the me inside?
I haven’t written anything recently about how things are and how I want them to be. Forgive me if this post seems rather self-indulgent; sometimes blog posts are a good way to exorcise demons or a good way to sound … Continue reading
Beasts of our own making: the buyers’ market and identity politics.
Do we pay greater attention to the psychic lives of others in order to validate the idea that our own “otherness” is our own property? Or do we paradoxically invalidate our identities by being drawn to the ever-present public voices … Continue reading
Artefacts of Life Project: A Chronicle of Mental Illness #ArtefactsofLife
The aim of Artefacts of Life is to encourage people to share their experiences of life with a mental illness and in so doing allow me to take these a step further. My task is to try and translate these moments and feelings into something visual. The result will be a photo project, an anthology of life with a mental illness. I am asking people to share whatever they would like (within the 140 characters): memories, anecdotes, thoughts, feelings, questions, hopes or fears. Anything –positive or negative. My goal is to try to take these and turn them into a collection of abstract pieces that convey what living with a mental illness might be like. Continue reading
Eyes Turned Skywards: When Hope Against Hope is Not Enough
‘For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.’ Leonardo Da Vinci Ever since I was a teenager, I have been … Continue reading
Layer Cake: Misery, Meditation and the Panic Monster
[TW: some content inappropriate for those in a precarious state] I am in a state: I am in sea of agitation and panic. It is easy to see, but impossible to tame. I can’t make decisions. I can’t speak fluently. … Continue reading
Russell Brand preaches revolution, but will disenfranchise the vulnerable.
Who will guarantee those with mental health conditions legitimate representation? A few months ago I posted a short piece discussing Russell Brand’s revolution narrative. I criticized him for essential duplicity: he calls for revolution, he calls for disengagement with the … Continue reading
The Commodification of Mental Distress: voyeurism and value in the public sphere
As the debate about Thorpe Park’s Asylum experiences is on the cusp of moving into its second week, I am beginning to reflect on the value of mental distress to a culture predicated on image and entertainment. I want to … Continue reading
Gulliver Unravelled 