Madness

 Bipolar

I have been reading Marya Hornbacher's

'Madness: A Bipolar Life', and have been moved

beyond measure at the author's courage, honesty, and ability

to express so vividly the harrowing experience of mental illness

as lived through the "bipolar"  mental landscape.

The agony that this condition creates affects not only

the person experiencing it, but also the family
and friends that surround

and care for them.

  The above "Bipolar" portrait appeared as my

response . It is 20/24 canvas paper, acrylics and fabric dyes.

There is little I can add to Hornbacher's words,

so I quote her here:

" I am who I am. This is the way it is: a balance, maybe

an uncomfortable one. ....I try to build a future out

of contradictions; madness is only a small part of my life,

yet sometimes it completely takes over and tries to destroy me.

So what if it isn't a normal life? It's the one I have. It's difficult,

beautiful, painful, full of laughter, passing strange.

Whatever else it is, whatever it brings---it's mine."

* American adults who have bipolar disorder: 5.8 million

(2.8% of the U.S. population)