Not So Abnormal

Nearly one in five adults in the U.S. live with a mental illness. Many live in shame and denial. As our society moves towards greater understanding and acceptance, people afflicted with mental health challenges are able to seek help and heal. Not So Abnormal is a photography and video project that portrays people within the mental health community: those who struggle with mental health challenges and those who aid in recovery. It aims to normalize and destigmatize mental illness, provide an outlet for people to share their experiences and opinions on mental health, and create a better understanding of this complicated topic.

Through photography and video, this project tells stories that are difficult to narrate – about psychological trauma, stigma, and pain. But there is also an emphasis on support, recovery, and hope. It takes bravery to step forward and disclose one’s mental health status, so this project honors those who participate in it through collaboration in which the participants actively engage in how they are portrayed. They are photographed in safe space where they could share their trauma narrative and feel supported. The mental health professionals who often undergo vicarious trauma are treated no differently. These supporters who make up an integral part of the mental health community share their stories as well.

As this topic is psychological in nature, the photographs depict internal landscape. At times, archetypal imagery can be found superimposed over portraits. People with mental health challenges often claim to possess strong self-knowledge as they’ve had to look deep within to understand their illness. They encounter archetypes during their internal journeys, which have spiritual significance for some people. The video, Not So Abnormal is narrated by a psychotherapist who believes that mental health disorder is not a disorder but actually a normal process of creating an order out of a difficult situation. This perspective could help lift some of the shame and stigma.

As much as this project is a form of artistic expression, it is also a platform for raising social awareness. My goal is to help the participants overcome internalized stigma and promote empathy and tolerance in the viewers.