Abandonment and depression are central themes in the song “Darkling” by South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord. The song was written by group member YoLandi…
Depression by artist DestinyBlue shows the duality between the public face of depression and the private. Often those with depression will hide it, and might…
Filmmaker Ora DeKornfeld beautifully captures the healing power of poetry by showcasing a young girl named Tyesha, who uses spoken word as a vessel to…
In her series “All Mad Here”, Toronto artist Sarah Y. Varnam depicts mental health through an abstract lens. Her piece Social Phobia examines the unique,…
Akeemjamal Rollins is a spoken word poet on the YouTube channel Button Poetry. His spoken word poem “Suicide Note” showcases his feelings of loneliness and…
The intricate symbolism embedded in the art piece Melencolia I by German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer continues to invite speculation as to the true meaning…
Though written over a decade ago, the song “How to Save a Life” by The Fray is relevant even today. This song highlights the complexities…
Rachel Blake’s poem is a stance against the stigma, discrimination, and fear that surrounds mental illness. Rachel herself has had a mental condition for as…
Jerron Herman was diagnosed with hemiplegia cerebral palsy at an early age. This condition caused the muscles on his left side of the body to…
Spanish artist Francisco de Goya suffered both physical and mental health problems after falling ill in 1793. Feeling isolated, he turned his attention to critiquing…
While it cannot be confirmed, many have speculated that the famous artist Vincent Van Gogh suffered from manic depression. Theories have surfaced on whether his…
For “Inktober,” artist Shawn Coss uses black ink to depict severe mental illness. His works of art represent the inner difficulties that those with these…
Julie Everson uses writing to help manage her struggles with borderline personality disorder. Creating poetry is important to her personal healing—allowing her to share her…
Most people are familiar with Edvard Munch through his classic work The Scream. What some may not be familiar with is the fact that Munch…
The 16th century painting “The Temptation of St. Anthony” by Matthias Grünewald depicts the visions of a person suffering from what we now call schizophrenia….
Rupi Kaur, a celebrated photographer, illustrator, author, and spoken word artist, uses a mix of poetry and narrative to explore themes of loss, trauma, and…
In her signature quirky style, illustrator Gemma Correll presents stickers to celebrate self-care. She identifies acts such as asking for help and taking time to…
Italian illustrator Federico Babina, in his latest series ‘ARCHIATRIC’, forms an illustrated reflection of the relationship between creativity, architecture, and psychopathology. An animated video and…
Out of possible side effects to expect when taking medication for Parkinson’s disease, uncontrollable painting is probably not one of them. Ingrid Hauff-Jacubasch was diagnosed…
At the University of Minnesota, art is used to create a dialogue about mental health. Art in Mind was a mental-health art exhibit that presented works…
