Artists With 'Invisible' Disabilities Use Tattoos To Talk About Health

“I have chosen a surreal art approach to represent my invisible disability, due to the surreal nature of mental illness,” tattoo artist Lindsay Carter expressed in a statement. Carter’s image ― featured on the right, above ― shows a bird whose head is a cage with a giant eyeball protruding from the dreamlike vision.  “As long as I’ve been consciously aware, I’ve been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder,” she continued. “Severe episodes can happen for no apparent reason and at that point I cannot help nor snap out of the exaggerated feelings. I subjectively illustrate mental illness as being caged within your own mind.” Carter is one of five tattoo artists who make up Ink Visible, a collaborative effort to visualize disabilities that, until now, have remained invisible. Each contributing artist has created their own temporary tattoo design, reflecting experiences with disabilities that exist inside the brain and underneath the skin, giving color and shape to the symptoms and experiences that can’t be seen and often remain misunderstood.  Ink Visible is the brainchild of artist Arianna Warner, who has a chronic pain condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Because her RSD prevents her from getting permanent tattoos of her own, Warner had the idea to use temporary tattoos as a vehicle through which to communicate what, for so long, seeme...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news