One half of the brain is depicted as the brain of a healthy, "normal" functioning person, it is colored pink. The other half of the brain is rainbow colors, representing the spectrum of disorders that can disrupt the normal thinking process. The colors vary from darkness, representing depression, to bright and vibrant, representing euphoria or mania. I wanted the backgrounds to contrast each other.

 

The side of the diseased brain is black, being invaded by shadows. The black represents the hopelessness and loneliness that many of the patient's explained to me. And in my clinical experience many patients suffered from visual hallucinations. They described what they saw as shadows. The purple background behind the healthy brain for me represents courage, just like those in the military who display great courage are awarded a Purple Heart medal. The aqua cloud on the healthy side represents the healing and growth that a patient can experience if they have the courage to get help. 

 

There is a line separating the normal brain and the mentally ill brain. This line will represent the thin line those with mental illness walk between reality and their delusions and hallucinations from mental illness. It also represents how with treatment and· therapy the patients can restore health and function normally in society.