Patterns of Anxiety
Henry Hewins
Textile
I observed a virtual consultation between a GP and a patient who lived with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). They opened up to the doctor about the way it interfered with their life, telling us about their self-imposed routines, constant checking and intrusive thoughts, which were all daily occurrences that caused them great distress. The patient also spoke about how the recent pandemic and lockdown were triggering their depression and they were feeling their condition was the worst it had ever been – inducing a heightened sense of worry and a feeling of doom which they found hard to stop thinking about.
This made me appreciate my own experience of the pandemic and how I was privileged not to be so deeply affected by it. The GP’s solutions to the problem were holistic treatments and observing how open the patient was to trying these approaches, made me appreciate the importance of holistic treatments in certain cases, especially in patients who have been living with a condition for so long. After doing some research into ‘thought spiralling’, where invasive thoughts rise from any small thing and people with OCD find these thoughts very difficult to block out – sometimes lasting hours or even days. This is what I felt the patient was describing, so I decided to base my artwork around this condition.
I chose to make an embroidery and I represented intrusive thoughts weaving through the mind as threads. Some threads were longer than others to show how some thoughts are more invasive than others and take longer to leave. The use of different colours allowed me to show it was many different types of thoughts and worries all at once. I used overlapping and spiralling patterns to try and represent the chaos this patient said they felt in their head. Embroidery was also something I had never done before either and learning the new skill has been very enjoyable, it was a very peaceful process and was a very good choice for clearing the mind.
I chose to explore this consultation creatively as it really stuck with me and made me think about all the people with mental health conditions struggling in lockdown. I also considered people I meet every day and how you never know what they may be struggling with.
Effective Consulting, Year One, 2021
The depiction of the randomness of anxiety is harnessed in the piece as there is no rhyme or reason when it comes to the threads and stitches. It reflects accurately how anxiety affects a person, through no rhyme or reason and often randomly. It also is shown to spread across the entire brain, showing how anxiety can be all consuming, especially during peak episodes where it feels as if it’s the only thing that exists. The threads also continue off the artwork and canvas, almost showing that anxiety doesn’t just affect your brain, but the rest of your body too.
The different number of threads represents the differing intrusive thoughts. The variety of thread length represents how some issues stay around longer than others, but I like how the student has chosen to interweave some of these threads as it represents how the issues all mingle with each other.
The different colours and lengths of the threads, which were interwoven and all overlapped, made this piece very visually compelling as it showed the randomness of the effects of anxiety. Some threads continue off the artwork twice, showing the entry and exit of the intrusive thought, whereas other threads only had one entry which I feel depicted the variation between anxious thoughts very well as not only do some anxious thoughts last longer than others, but also have more long-term effects. I liked that the threads covered several lobes of the brain as it showed how anxiety can be all consuming and affect many different parts of the body, not just the mind.
The chaotic nature of this piece for me is an accurate depiction of anxiety and the feeling of a panic attack. Spiralling threads mirror the thoughts circling before they eventually dissipate. The variety of colours, while making this piece engaging, also shows the vast amount of thoughts and anxieties which all contribute to an overall sense of panic, highlighting that anxiety doesn’t have to be based on one anxious thought but an accumulation of feelings and outside influence. The way the threads run off the page symbolises how anxiety not only affects your thoughts and feelings, but causes widespread effects to the rest of your body such as sweating, hyperventilation and increased heart rate.
This embroidery encapsulates what it is like to feel irrationally anxious and panicky – the loops of thread mimicking the rumination over tiny aspects and the idea of going in circles in ones head, returning to the same source of anxiety. I particularly like the fact that the threads are unfinished and trail off the drum, which cleverly reminds me of how the feeling of being anxious unresolvable to the sufferer. The different lobes of the brain are a nice touch to this piece and create the idea of anxiety surrounding numerous senses and aspects of life, whether physical or social etc. (Controlled by different parts of the brain).
This piece is a very interesting depiction of how it might feel to live with the intrusive thoughts and obsessions that come with a disorder such as OCD. The threads of different colours and lengths are a creative way of depicting intrusive thoughts that enter and exit the brain chaotically and without structure, and they seem to converge in the centre of the brain to represent a deep spiral of negative thoughts which can be extremely hard to climb out of and recover from. The threads travel through every lobe of the brain, representing how obsessions and intrusive thoughts can affect every aspect of the sufferer’s life, and some appear to settle in one lobe of the brain as if they never leave – reflecting how many mental health disorders can never be cured completely and can only be managed, with the sufferer having to learn to live with these thoughts entangling their brain.
This piece of artwork caught my interest due to the simplicity of the art yet the profound meaning and experience behind it. There is evident structure of the brain yet within, there is a degree of randomness which can be accredited to the different colours and the strings being placed in a disordered fashion. This can be related to how mental health and anxiety have a fabric of chaos within a seemingly normal boundary. The individual strings are in itself quite long and colourful, intertwined by others showing how intrusive thoughts can combine making the situation and emotions more chaotic. The strings fall off the canvas which suggests that part of mental health illnesses can be detected and they present with physical symptoms. One could interpret this as an idea about perspectives: someone viewing from outside may only be able to see the small sections of the strings off the canvas, yet the individual knows there is more to it and it is hidden from view. The idea that they fall down could suggest how struggling with OCD and depression make you feel about yourself; that it burdens you and your life and you get bogged down by it.
I chose to review this piece as I found the use of colour, texture and pattern gave an interesting depiction of OCD and anxiety. The overlapping threads and bright colours highlight the chaotic nature of anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. The thread hangs down below the canvas, illustrating how intrusive thoughts and anxiety take over your whole body. The threads also pass through all the lobes of the brain, showing how anxiety affects all aspects of your life and thinking.
I found this piece really though provoking and effective. What struck me first was how physical the piece is, and the contrast this has with how psychiatric disorders are often viewed as ‘imaginary’ or somehow different to physical illness. The inclusion of texture, colour, and picture shows how intense and all consuming experiences of OCD are. Furthermore, although the image of the brain shows how OCD can be perceieved to be ‘all in someone’s head’, the dangling threads show how the anxiety manifests as very real, physical symptoms, which adds to the physical nature of this piece.
I also appreciated how the artist has shown that triggers can arise from many aspects of life, by having threads start in different places, and travel in different directions. This makes the piece feel more confusing and intimidating, mimicking the emotions of the patient.
In my opinion, the concept of portraying mental health conditions, often known to be intrinsically complex, in such a simple way is incredibly effective. The artist manages to convey the overlapping nature of many mental health issues as the pieces of string twist and mix together, whilst simultaneously representing the feelings of the patient. I also really liked the idea that some pieces of string enter the head and leave again whilst some stay, depicting the idea that some mental health conditions (or invasive thoughts) come and go again, whilst others have to be learnt to live with. There is no restriction on the colour palette to this piece either, which I find very interesting as it suggests to me how varied and uncontrollable the OCD thoughts can get. The outline of the brain and it’s compartments help to emphasise how overtaking these thoughts can become, as it depicts the coloured thread entering every single compartment. I also appreciate the fact that this is a very physical, 3D piece of artwork which juxtaposes the idea that mental health issues are often undetectable physically, but shows how they are just as important. The artist cleverly arranges the piece so that thread comes from many different sources and enters the brain in many different directions, highlighting the fact that invasive thoughts can come at any time, and are set off by many different things. Overall, I found this piece to be really intriguing and a good insight into the feelings of a patient struggling with OCD.
I really like this artwork and the message that it conveys. The use of thread and embroidery is an interesting medium to me. Thread makes up fabric, which in turn makes up clothing, furniture etc. This mirrors the idea that thoughts in the brain, and individual neurones are a starting point in the body. They can grow and spiral into conditions such as OCD. The directions of the thread, being non-structured and overlapping show the complexity within the brain and how OCD thoughts can be all-encompassing. The use of multiple colours also conveys this. Anxiety is overwhelming and hard to rationalise as a sufferer. Threads trailing off the drum and the changing of directions is a clever way of representing this and evoking panic. Embroidery is a mindful pass-time. Many people take up the craft to help them feel more present and reduce anxiety. Through using embroidery, I get the impression that the patient is also trying to find methods to help improve their mental health. The idea that they are trying to physically map out their mental health is intriguing as many mental health issues are dismissed due to others not being able to see the symptoms. This leads onto to interesting conversations regarding ‘invisible’ conditions – a discourse that has become more prevalent during the pandemic.
To me, this artwork is very interesting as it accurately conveys my personal perception on anxiety and OCD, as it encompasses the feelings of ‘spiralling’ with untidy thoughts almost ‘spilling’ out the mind. The use of different coloured fabrics, as well as the varying lengths, evokes imagery of nerves, which goes a long way to capture the essence of how these once intrusive thoughts can continue to grow until they spread out and affect the rest of the embroider, which to me can represent the ‘physical state’. Furthermore, I find the fabric spiral at the centre of the brain very interesting – being at the centre implies it is the main focus of this person in day-to-day life and that also reinforces this idea of ‘spiralling’. To me it also shows that some thoughts are contained within the ‘mental state’ and hence can go often go unnoticed to others when there may not be ‘real’ physical symptoms.
When first looking at this piece of artwork I found it quite simple and easy to comprehend, its just a brain. But as I read the text that came with it I realised the complexity and greater depth that there is to this art, the same that there is with a patient. From the threads and stitches one can convey how delicate ones brain is, as if one stitch is undone the whole thing can come apart which echos this patients life. The anxiety and intrusive thoughts are clearly depicted by the layers and spiralling of the threads each showing the difficulties the patient experiences living with OCD. Moreover, the threads span across the whole brain portraying how it effects all lobes and therefore all aspects of ones mind. For me, the hanging of the threads outside the brain show the vast spread of this condition and how it can impact ones whole body not just mentally but also physically.
This stimulating piece, while perhaps first appearing nebulous, belies the claim that mental health is a non-partisan tangible entity, with the multi-faceted synaesthetic variability of both thread colour and length provoking intellectual introspection on the dynamic and nuanced nature of mental health and disorders.
I find this piece very thought provoking and a nice representation of the minds of those who suffer from mental health issues. The different coloured threads indicate the disarrayed thoughts that plague people’s minds, and the varying lengths clearly show how some thoughts can be more invasive than others, especially as some spiral to the centre of the mind, constantly irking them. The looping between the threads also shows how the thoughts are all intermingled, and one thought can trigger others, which could indicate how their minds are constantly whirring and never empty. Those with anxiety, OCD or other conditions may not experience moments of relaxation which could affect their daily routines and relationships with other people, and effects to cognition and emotion (displayed as the threads entering different lobes) can present as physical symptoms also shown by the dangling threads coming out of the brain. The choice of medium is excellent as embroidery is a time consuming, repetitive task which can cause relaxation and keeping the mind focused so taking on calming hobbies such as embroidery could help those with mental illness whose minds are always preoccupied.
I like how this piece of artwork represents how chaotic and random anxiety and mental health can be. The different colours of thread and the random direction of the lengths really shows how the last intrusive thought is not always the same. The spiral in the middle shows how all the thoughts can come together and contribute to that negative spiral. I think that the fact there is thread in all parts of the brain conveys how OCD and anxiety aren’t just a small thing that can be shut out. It is everywhere. The artist’s choice to do embroidery for this piece of artwork, I think, is very fitting as to me it shows the nature of intrusive and anxious thoughts weaving their way through the brain.
I think this piece represents the uncontrollable nature of mental health, specifically anxiety, and how much it weaves into your brain and consequentially your thoughts really well. I like how the different colour threads represent the different aspects of anxiety, showing the way anxiety presents in one person could contrast very differently with how it manifest in someone else. This highlights how complicated mental health can be to manage and how doctors need to develop many ways of helping patients and recognising how one person reacts to a certain type of treatment may not be the same way for someone else. The way the threads cover the entire brain shows how much anxiety can affect every aspect of yourself. For example, it affects your emotions, your personality, your visual perception of things, your auditory perception ; anxiety really takes hold of your brain in its entirety.
I found this piece really interesting. It shows how complex and intrusive anxiety can be in the human mind by using different thread colours and lengths. The irregularity of the thread’s direction also shows how these intrusive thoughts are irregular and can seem random. The different lengths also shows how anxiety isn’t always a constant state, it can be better or worse at times.
I found this piece very interesting, as with a relatively simple design, it demonstrates the level of impact anxiety and OCD can have on a person, and the way in which it can take over your brain. The use of a variety of thread colours, spiralling in random directions, and taking up the whole surface of the brain illustrates how intrusive thoughts can spiral out of control, as well as how each person’s brain is very unique, meaning anxiety will manifest for them in different ways. I particularly liked the focus on OCD, which is often misrepresented in media as only extreme tidiness or cleanliness, when actually it can impact someone in many different ways and can easily grip someone’s mind. Furthermore, the threads leaving the brain for me was able to show how anxiety and OCD can lead to physical symptoms in your body, and added to the idea that intrusive thoughts can be very hard to control or block out, and therefore the overall idea that mental health conditions are incredibly complex to handle and treat.
I found this piece to powerfully capture the overwhelming experience of intrusive thoughts and anxiety by using chaotic, multicolored threads to form tangled patterns on the brain’s outline. The threads resemble cranial nerves extending from the brain, illustrating how intrusive thoughts can affect both the mind and body. I also appreciated the use of multiple spirals, effectively conveying how seemingly minor worries can spiral into overwhelming loops of anxiety.