Letters From: The Heart

Mariacarla Boscono

Vogue Nippon (October 2000)

Yr Not Sad, You Just Want Attention

What image comes to mind when you think of someone who has a mental illness? 

Yr Not Sad, You Just Want Attention by artist PJ Barker invites further questioning into the misunderstood teenage neurosis. Often, we assume that because a person looks a particular way, they must feel a specific way as well. Or, because of a person’s age, race, or gender, they are somehow incapable of feeling the true depth of certain emotions; thus resulting in harmful stereotypes such as the “overly emotional” teenage girl. Rather than treating mental disorders for what they are—normal occurrences as prevalent as the common cold—those afflicted are dismissed, shunned, and invalidated.