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For my final Padlet entitled "Artistic Interpretations," I carefully selected each piece of artwork and structured the Padlet to make connections between them. For this project, I chose to use different interpretations of facets of neurodivergence through art as I was interested in how artistic symbolism tells a story. I found that every facet of these pieces down to the color choice and the fine details had symbolic meaning that helped tell the artist's individual story. For this project, I aimed to combine the works of these artists to create a cohesive piece that shows how different members of the black community interpret neurodivergence artistically.

Each section should be comprehensive on its own but consistent throughout the whole piece. I strategically started each of my five subsections with a video to help contextualize the particular type of neurodivergence that went along with the image. From there, I briefly summarised each sub-topic and why it is relevant in our current society. Finally, I included a rich analysis of each image. At the end of each subsection, I included my sources and possible individual links to learn additional information rather than having an extensive bibliography at the end to make it more accessible. I found that some of the pieces contained similar types of symbolism or were trying to comment on a similar phenomenon. To comment on those intersections, I also created subsections in green at the bottom with those connections. This piece combines the perspectives of numerous neurodivergent artists through their beautiful, symbolically rich pieces of artwork through multiple mediums.

As for my personal connection to this piece, I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for about three years and, because of it, have really struggled to portray my emotions in a controlled and effective way. I wanted to be sure I included bipolar disorder in this piece as I wanted to incorporate my own neurodivergence. I found that the bipolar disorder piece hit home for me as the emotional subtext of the image speaks beautifully to the feelings of someone with bipolar disorder.

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Both the images for Bipolar Disorder and Schiphphina use white hands to comment on the influence of white doctors on the health care system. In the bipolar disorder image, the white hands hold the cloth in her mouth and choke her to keep her from speaking her mind. In the Schizophrenia image, the woman in the picture has white hands and a white mouth to symbolize how the over-saturation of white people in the healthcare system influences her actions and words. Both images effectively speak to the issue of the oppression of black voices when receiving mental health care in a richly symbolic yet similar way.

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Both the images for Masking and Depression contain imagery that comments on the different types of masking in the neurodivergent community. In the Masking image, the woman is seen hiding her mania as she fears being perceived as hysterical by the rest of society. In the Depression image, the woman is seen having to hide her emotions behind her nicely maintained physical appearance. Masking takes shape in both how neurodivergent people choose to present themselves physically and how they act.

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Both the portrayals of bipolar disorder and infantilization contain symbolism that alludes to the silencing of black voices. For example, in the bipolar disorder drawing, the woman has a bloody rag in her mouth to silence her, while in the infantilization image, the child has a pacifier in her mouth to keep her quiet. Including these particular elements, comment on how black voices are either silenced by doctors in the health care system or by themselves as they fear societal stigma and stereotypes.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWFuQR_Wt4M

^ The above is a video that will contextualize depression.^

Depression is one of the most frequently discussed mental illnesses in mainstream media, yet much stigma is still present in society. Depression symptoms vary widely, but the most common ones are feeling sad, losing interest in activities, trouble sleeping and losing energy. Although depression is frequently talked about, the effects that it could have on productivity are highly stigmatized. American society encourages productivity above all else, and the hindrance that depression could cause to a person's productivity frequently gets them labelled as lazy. Especially in black communities where so much stigmatization surrounding motivation already exists, people with depression push themselves to go to work or school rather than focus on their mental health.

This image, created by artist Kirsty Latoya symbolizes the pressures on black women to maintain their appearances even while they are in the throes of a depressive episode. Kirsty Latoya is a 28-year-old artist who creates digital art on her Ipad to demonstrate societal stereotypes surrounding mental illness in her "Emotion Series." One of the first things I noted about this image is the dark colors she used to portray emotions of sadness and depression. This image uses symbolism to evoke emotion. The image contains a woman holding a smiling mask up to her face with a crying version of herself hidden behind it. The mask shows a perfectly made-up face with lipstick and nails to match to symbolize the pressures of women to present as their best constantly. However, the real version of herself hidden behind the mask is tearful and distraught. The image perfectly displays the pressures on women to look their best despite their mental health.

Links To Sources Used And More About Depression:

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

https://mashable.com/article/black-mental-health-art#5Wm2p0klJiqI

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXZThxmuyV0&t=79s

^The above is a video to contextualize infantilization.^

Infantilization is frequently overlooked in the conversation surrounding neurodivergence, but it is one of the most common ways to mistreat neurodivergent people. Infantilization is defined as treating someone as if they are significantly younger than they are. This treatment can be long term typically seen in interactions between parents and children or between teachers and students, but it can also happen on a short-term scale through microaggressions. Some examples of infantilization include but aren't limited to speaking in baby talk, using pet names, and speaking for someone that can speak for themselves. Of course, infantilization isn't just limited to the neurodivergent community; however, it affects the neurodivergent community at an increased rate due to a lack of education and societal stigma. Although most people only mean to protect the person they are infantilizing, it can drastically impact self-esteem. In addition, long-term parental infantilization can lead to a harder transition into mainstream society and can leave their children vulnerable to sexual abuse.
This image is a rich symbolic portrayal of infantilization by Tiktok creator Kalopsia. This image is the most famous piece from Kalopsia's well-known Tiktok series, "Drawing Social Issues," with over 300 thousand likes. Starting from the outside, the background of this drawing is colored purple which conventionally correlates with Alzheimer's disease and ADHD. The upper right-hand corner has the words "poor baby," which are frequently used when talking to neurodivergent children. However, these children don't want to be pitied or coddled for their neurodivergence but instead treated like neurotypical children. The bloodstained mobile seems to have a dual meaning as it symbolizes a contaminated childhood but also resembles an angel's halo. The child also has a pacifier in its mouth which pays homage to how adults tend to speak for neurodivergent children rather than allowing them to express themselves. The child in this image seems eager to speak as the cracks around her mouth demonstrate how she's holding her emotions in. Finally, the white hands around her neck in the picture resemble the over-saturation of white healthcare workers that, due to stigma, frequently silence black neurodivergent children. Overall this image is a perfect representation of an underrepresented topic.

Links To Sources Used And More About Infantilization:

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/awareness-ribbon-colors-meaning

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-will-you-do-when-i-m-gone/202208/the-damage-caused-infantilizing-the-disabled

https://blog.theautismsite.greatergood.com/infantilization-autism/

Please check out more of Kalopsia’s work on Tiktok

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2sc_ck5BZU

^ The above is a video to contextualize schizophrenia.^

In society at large, schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses. In black communities, schizophrenia is disproportionately diagnosed, affecting black communities more frequently. Some of the main symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions. Schizophrenia requires lifelong severe treatment as symptoms often worsen and can become highly debilitating. Unfortunately, due to the high price tag of such treatments and medications, many people go without treatment and must continue through life, unable to connect with reality. The lack of schizophrenia treatments tends to affect black communities more than white communities leading to further stigmatization of black neurodivergence.
This particular photograph is an eye-opening portrayal of both schizophrenia and the American healthcare system. Heather Agyepong took this image as part of her 2020 exhibit entitled “The Body Remembers.” This exhibit attempts to balance colonial interpretations of mental illness with how they are viewed in society today. The first thing that I noticed about this image was that it is in black and white, which seems to be a stylistic choice as she is commenting on the influence of white medical professionals on the treatment and overdiagnosis of black schizophrenic individuals. The woman in the image is wearing a dress that symbolizes the kinds of gowns women wore in asylums generations prior. In addition, the woman is covered in white paint on her arms and around her mouth to symbolize the effects of the American healthcare system. Agyepong chose to put white paint around her arms and mouth as the oversaturation of white healthcare workers influences her actions and words as she gets treatment. Furthermore, her hair is in disarray, and she seems confused, which is indicative of someone suffering from a schizophrenic hallucination.

Links To Sources Used And More About Schizophrenia:

https://autre.love/interviewsmain/2023/1/24/wish-you-were-here-an-interview-of-heather-agyepong-on-her-exhibition-at-the-centre-for-british-photography

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443#:~:text=Schizophrenia%20is%20a%20serious%20mental,with%20schizophrenia%20require%20lifelong%20treatment.

https://www.psycom.net/schizophrenia-racial-disparities-black-people

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Bipolar Disorder (Angry Black Woman Stigma)

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Bipolar Disorder (Angry Black Woman Stigma)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9vkGCo7Gtg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xRPxQEEzI4
^ Above are two videos one is about bipolar disorder and the other is about the “angry black woman” stereotype to contextualize this image.^

Bipolar disorder is one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses in the field of neurodivergence due to its emotional mood swings and unpredictable depressive episodes. This disorder affects numerous facets of a person's day-to-day life, as the fluctuations between periods of depression and mania make it difficult to concentrate and maintain motivation. Especially in women, the mania associated with bipolar disorder is typically portrayed as a woman being hysterical. As a result of these steep mood swings and societal stigmatization, even in the healthcare system, many people with bipolar disorder misuse drugs and alcohol to cope with their symptoms.

This drawing perfectly symbolizes the experience of a black woman with bipolar disorder attempting to receive help in the United States healthcare system. This image was created by TikTok creator Kalopsia. Kalopsia has over 100 thousand tik tok followers and a series entitled "Social Issues Through Art", which this image is a part of. When looking at the image starting from the outside in, I first notice the words "stop bringing race into this' 'in the upper left corner. Black women are consistently discriminated against in the health care system and find it hard to advocate for themselves because many white providers still have basis surrounding black women. The artist seems to be commenting on how most mental health care providers are white through the writing in the corner and the white hands silencing her. In the image, the white hands hold a bloody cloth in her mouth and choke her. These white hands symbolize how white medical professionals historically silence black women and minimize their experiences. In the comments of this image, people commented how this portrayal is relatable to the "angry black woman" stereotype where black women, not just in the healthcare system but in general society, aren't taken seriously when they express their needs or have periods of mania. This image does a remarkable job of balancing portraying bipolar disorder and the inequalities that remain in the healthcare system.

Links to Sources Used And More About Bipolar Disorder:

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder#:~:text=Bipolar%20disorder%20(formerly%20 called%20 manic,day%2Dto%2day%20 tasks.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955

https://genius.com/Porsha-olayiwola-angry-black-woman-annotated

Please check out Kalopsia on Tiktok for more of her artwork

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tvzt2wTZHE

^ The above video will aid in contextualization.^

Masking is one of the most popular ways that neurodivergent people attempt to blend into a neurotypical environment. Masking occurs when a neurodivergent person attempts to conceal some of their attributes that might be seen as bizarre in broader society, such as in the workplace, at school or in restaurants. Some of these behaviors that neurodivergent people try to conceal are tics, self-stimulation, or over-enthusiasm. For many, the pressures of living in a neurotypical world cause them to try covering some of their traits to be perceived as "normal." However, many neurodivergent people, including the man from the video above, find masking exhausting and detrimental to their sense of self.

This painting, created by Tiktok artist Artisic_Ki perfectly embodies how it feels to be constantly masking in a neurotypical society as a black woman. On Tiktok Artistic_Ki is a small creator with only over one thousand followers. Her page combines watercolor artwork and her talking about raising her son as a black woman with autism. Her first-hand experiences with masking make this piece particularly visually and symbolically rich. For starters, she created this piece with watercolor, which requires great focus and precision. In her videos, Artisic_Ki describes her artwork as an outlet and one of her hyper fixations as she wants it to perfectly portray her experience. The first thing I notice about this image is the dark colors she uses. In art, dark colors typically resemble emotions like anger, angst, and sadness, which she is undoubtedly trying to portray with this piece. The foreground of the photo contains the face of a smiling woman split down the middle, revealing the complete face of a hysterical woman behind her. The woman in the foreground symbolizes who she must pretend to be to the public, while the woman in the background is how she feels internally. The woman in the foreground is seen smiling as there is strict societal pressure, particularly on women, to maintain a well-kept smiling face. I also find her being "split down the middle" to be symbolic, as many describe their experience with masking as feeling like they have to choose between who they really are and neurotypical society's expectations. Finally, the woman in the background being visibly hysterical reflects neurodivergence and the pressures of being a woman in American society. Society conditions women to mask their emotions to never to be called "hysterical" and to be taken seriously by broader society.

Links To Sources Used And More About Masking:

https://www.inclusionhub.com/articles/what-is-neurodivergent-masking-why-do-professionals-do-it#:~:text=Neurodivergent%20 masking%20reference%20to%20the,of%20the%20workplace%20or%20society.

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-masking-in-mental-health-6944532

Please check out Artistic_Ki on Tiktok for more of her artwork.