experience

 Above artwork created by Jeremy Sicile-Kira, an Autistic non-verbal artist with synesthesia. He uses his synesthesia to create pieces like the one I used above, translating people's emotions and words into colors. You can view more of his work here.

*Some of the below information includes topics and images on psychiatric facilities that might be triggering to readers*

Collage on Personal Experience with Psychiatric Wards, created by Brisa Kane

I cannot fully express what the ideas were behind this collage. I wanted a space to process some of my own experiences, using the materials that had been a part of my hospital experience. I made the collage in a window shape, as we were not allowed to be in any space without a staff member there, watching us. Even sleeping and going to the bathroom. Being this closely observed felt violating, and I wanted my collage to reflect that. 

In the top of the collage, I have included some of the titles of the worksheets that we were given each day, as well as our daily goal. I have taken pages out of my journal to include some of the things I wrote during my time there. There are further explanations for each piece on the collage itself.

While being watched, the staff would take notes on what we were doing, with a certain amount of points being assigned to each thing, based on how "mentally stable" the activity seemed (or at least, that was my understanding of the process). The point system in the collage is made to resemble that, and hopefully also pose the question -- what are "mentally stable" activities?

We would have strategy meetings in the hospital, trying to escape from the watch of staff for a few minutes, and one of the patients (who had been in 16 wards before this one) would explain how to get out of the ward as quickly as possible. Some patients tried to run, others pulled the fire alarms multiple times a day, but our friend explained that the best way was simply to lie. Play into the system, lie on the report cards, do the most "mentally stable" activities you can (drawing and talking were the best), and make friends with the staff. The more you abide by the system, the sooner they will let you out. I hope this collage calls into question what this "system" is, and who it is truly benefitting.