a walk through my mind

artist statement:

This piece is about what goes on in the mind of someone with an Eating Disorder. It also applies to someone with Body Dysmorphia. The scattered images that I have created throughout the piece are to show how incredibly crowded it is in a person with this disorder’s mind. The racing thoughts about eating, not eating, stomach size, how small you look in clothing that is constantly buzzing through your mind gets incredibly exhausting. To those who see my art and have experience with similar problems, I want them to understand that they're not alone. To those who have no experience, I want to help them understand what it feels like so that more people are aware. The specific eating disorder I struggle with, and the one that is most prominent in this piece is Anorexia Nervosa. The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15-24 years old, which blows my mind, and I want to make others aware of how deadly an Eating Disorder can be. The best thing you can do, especially if you know someone in your life who struggles with something similar, is become educated on the topic, become aware of the words that come out of your mouth, because they can be deadly.

—Cailey Brickett