As artists the more we describe an experience in one fell swoop, or "across the board," the more we miss its particular topography, its humanness, its flawed shine. This resonates as particularly true for those of us living with Mental Illness: under-&-misrepresented, so often flattened into grotesque, dangerous caricatures. It is imperative to our survival & thrival to break stigma into a thousand unrecognizable pieces, normalize the conversation, & highlight the infinite ways both struggle & resilience manifest in our lives.
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Shira Erlichman is a multidisciplinary artist who was born in Israel & immigrated to the US when she was six. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work can be found in The Huffington Post, Psychology Tomorrow, BuzzFeed, NPR, Bust Magazine, & The Massachusetts Review, among others. She received her BA from Hampshire College & a James Merrill Fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center. She's shared stages with Tune-Yards, Mirah, Coco Rosie, & Andrea Gibson. Learn more at www.shirae.com