Michelle, the founder of Schizophrenic.NYC teamed up with Janssen Global to produce a great article and a video to go with it! Here is the beginning of the article and the video.
Michelle Hammer describes herself as “a schizophrenic New Yorker trying to change the way New York City sees mental health.”
To achieve that mission, Michelle draws upon her passion for design — creating art while advocating to end the stigma associated with mental illness.
“I took art classes when I was young, and I took a career test in sixth grade that said I should be a graphic designer,” Michelle says. “It’s always been my passion.”
Her approach to creating the complex art that has become her signature style starts quite simply, with a sketch book and magic markers. Once an original drawing is complete, she photographs it, uploads it to her computer and continues to add multiple layers digitally. Each piece of art becomes a visual reminder of what was going on in her mind when it was created.
“Looking back, I can remember when I did certain pieces because of the details,” Michelle says. “But a lot of my anxiety is in there. It’s more detailed if I was really anxious.”
