Hi! We are a group of seven second year medical students at Edinburgh Medical School aspiring to educate ourselves and others about the experience of living with a stigmatised illness through art. We share our work and individualised experiences of illness through our Instagram account @arttoinform.
We aim to challenge our existing perception of these illnesses as we realise that society’s stigmatised views may have subconsciously affected our understanding and subsequently our practice as future healthcare workers. Through this project we have been able to work on individual and group artwork; challenge and correct our unconscious bias as well as work as part of a brilliant team. Reflecting on this throughout has enriched our understanding of ourselves and each other and allowed us to explore our attitudes towards these topics.
We believe this experience has been extremely valuable and we hope you can join us on the journey! You can view and learn more about the artwork and stigmatised illnesses over on @arttoinform.
Marianna
Hi, I’m Marianna and I will be focusing on postpartum depression (PPD). PPD is very common, yet barely spoken of. The dramatic drop in “feel-good” hormones after childbirth, combined with sleep deprivation and stress of caring for a newborn, can leave new mothers feeling overwhelmed and very susceptible to PPD. Society’s belief that motherhood should be such a joyful time cultivates the misconception that a woman is not a good mother if she is struggling mentally and is unhappy. Through my art, I hope to create some understanding and awareness around the experience and stigma surrounding PPD.
Aisha
Hello! My name is Aisha and for this project I will be focusing on understanding and attempting to visually express the experiences of living with Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis that continues to be surrounded by common misconceptions. I hope to provide education and awareness through artwork about the diversity of experiences of living with this condition as well as flatten any common uninformed preconceptions many of us may have.
Shreya
Hi! I’m Shreya and I’ve chosen to base my artwork on Psoriasis. Some of us may have heard of it, but for the most part, there are several misconceptions we have about this condition. People with Psoriasis have varied illness narratives and I’ll be exploring some of their experiences using a variety of art mediums, through which I hope to bring about an awareness and reduce the stigma around it.
Hannah
Hi my name is Hannah and I’ve chosen to base my artwork around the experiences of young children with anxiety. Some people may not realise that young children can be diagnosed with anxiety, and that it is not always ‘just a phase’. I will be creating some watercolour and pen illustrations, through which I hope to convey some of the struggles that these children can go through.
Alaina
Hi! I’m Alaina and I intend to create a series of digital art on stigma surrounding sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs).
In many cultures and social groups, sex and STIs is often unspoken about and considered taboo, and so I wish to tackle these social barriers by creating artwork to educate others and myself on the stigma and experience of living with STIs.
Eshita
Hello, I’m Eshita and I’ll be exploring the experience and stigmatisation of ADHD through various artistic media. With increasing exposure in the media, ADHD can often be associated with a range of differing stereotypes. Through my artwork, I hope to promote understanding where these come from. Being informed of the reality of people’s experience allows for us to understand any discrepancies, so we are better able to provide support where required.
Aisling
Hello! My name is Aisling and my intention is to understand and raise awareness of the myriad of ways vitiligo is experienced, along with its unique stigmas.
Vitiligo is a skin condition of depigmentation which has complex intersections with identity on many levels. With personal stories as individualistic as the marks in which vitiligo presents itself on the skin, my hope is to create art with the means to inspire solidarity with those who can relate, and to cast some light on how the vitiligo journey can be an evolving picture in more ways than one.
