Help with a project

[sphinx]

Hi. I am new to the forum and not sure if I am posting this in the right place! Basically I am after some help with a project that I am starting that will help raise awareness about mental illness.

I have suffered from anxiety for a number of years. I am an amatuer photographer that has just had my first mini exhibition and am now wanting to do another that surrounds mental health issues. I would like to ask people if they could write to me in words a picture that describes what their illness feels like (does that make sense?). So any feedback to how I go about this, or if anyone woud like to volunteer their description would be greatly appreciated (it would be done anonymously with just the illness and age noted). I am very aware of wanting to do this in a manner that does not offend anyone.

The end goal is to create photos from these descriptions and exhibit them with proceeds going to mental health organisations. Thanks very much 

[Mazarita]

Hi @sphinx and welcome to the forums. 🙂

I'm not sure of the protocols with these things either but your post has not been moderated so I think it's all okay. I think you show great respect in the way you are approaching the SANE community and it's an interesting question for us to ponder.

I am being treated for bipolar, am 53. This is a kind of poem, or a collection of descriptive words. It's about day to day life for me sometimes:

Old TV goes to static

bang at the back spark igniting

volume vibrant sinking quiet

noisy silence sleep a reward

[CherryBomb]

Hi @Mazarita and @sphinx

Welcome to the forums @sphinx!

Thought I'd let you both know about why the post has been allowed to go up. As @Mazarita has kind of touched on, we don't usually allow posts that advertise research. This is because we don't want to facilitate communications that can take place elsewhere that we cannot moderate, and could potentially harm some members.

Seeing @sphinx has a lived experience and is more bouncing around ideas, I think this ok. Particularly because it is not research per se, where there are research questions that probe into issues of mental illness and could be triggering. In addition, we have allowed this post to go up, because the communication can take place on here.One thing I'd like to point out is that we are anonymous site so we don't allow people to provide any information that may identify them.

I hope this works out to be fruitful discussion for all. 

CherryBomb

[Mazarita]

Hi @CherryBomb, thanks for clearing that up and allowing the posts. I'm looking forward to reading other responses. 🙂

[sphinx]

Hi @CherryBomb and @Mazarita, thanks so much for replying. Is it then ok to ask if people would like to describe their illness for use for my photography here in the forum, or do you think I need to take an alternative path like placing an ad in a mental health publication (assuming that is possible)?

[CherryBomb]

Hi @sphinx

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. Yes, it's ok for people to describe their illness for you to use in your photography on here. We are ok with this because it's a conversation that we can moderate, and it's not reserch per se, but more discussing people's views on how they see their illness.

It would be really cool @sphinx if you could show us some pics that you end up taking. 

[sphinx]

Thanks again @CherryBomb. I would love to share what I end up taking, I know it's going to be a challenge but I really think it will be worth it. On another note for anyone reading this I would love to hear people's views on the fact that, speaking from my own point of view, the images may all end up being quite "dark" in nature ( I know this is only an assumption at this point) Do you think an exhibition made up of images like this is okay to promote awareness? I would be interested to hear people's thoughts. Thanks

[CherryBomb]

Actually @sphinx, I don't know why this didn't pass my mind, but SANE Australia has recently done some research on how to accurately and fairly depict MI in the media. The results have not yet been released but if I can remember I will let you know when they do release them. But keep an eye out for them too!

[Former-Member]

Hi @sphinx interesting concept for your project,

Things have been hard for me lately
A picture would probably show me as a small dark but fading shadow in a crowded messy world that is slightly blurry and hard to make sense of. Not sure if that makes sense...

[sphinx]

Thould be great @CherryBomb, I will definitely keep an eye out