Katie Linsky Shaw

This image is part of a self-portrait series on my mental health. I planned to create images that presented the topic of mental health in a more approachable, relatable way. I used self-deprecating humor in these images to put others at ease. Some images are serious, some are more light-hearted like this one on my childhood OCD. Each image includes a QR code in the frame for the viewer to scan. The code opens a webpage with resources about that particular topic like OCD. I hope these images will show people that it's okay to be "not okay."

I've been a photographer for more than 25 years with my portrait photography business and photojournalistic work. I was searching for a way to make a difference through photography and was finally inspired by the last three years of my life. These years included an emotionally exhausting series of events - my teenage son suffering a mental health crisis which led to programs away from home when he was 17, and the loss of both of my parents. I decided to express the stress and anxiety of these events through fine art photography. I've always felt that people were too ashamed and embarrassed to discuss mental health. I wanted to provide a medium that would give people the opportunity to open up. That's how my self-portrait series on my mental health started. Since posting the series, I've had numerous people open up to me to share their mental health stories.

Even Means No

Photographic print

30 x 36 inches

This Is Incurable

Photographic print

30 x 36 inches

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