1282 bandaids Heal the Soul

1282 bandaids….that’s the magic number, or at least the magic number of bandaids required to create this image.

Bandaids represent healing.  You put them on a scrape or small cut.  They offer comfort to a crying child who has fallen and scraped their knee.  An operating room is where more serious injuries are repaired.  So, what better way to represent the idea of healing than to cover yourself in bandaids in a hospital operating room?  I thought of this idea a while back and wasn’t sure about it. Logistically, how was I going to pull this off?  Lesson learned…if you don’t ask, you will never know.  And so, I simply asked the question and found the perfect operating room for this photo.

Today is Work Mental Health day.  Based on events of my childhood, I tend to spend a lot of my time, looking for signs of depression.  Signs of depression in myself, my children, my family and friends.    I am constantly expecting the worst to happen, because it already did, and could easily happen again.  The process of healing my soul is a long and deeply personal journey.

To me, this image represents healing overmuch in the literal sense, yet there is a much deeper meaning for me.    I used bandaids in the literal sense to represent healing.  He is completely covered in bandaids.  His physical characteristics are hidden since your soul cannot be seen in the literal sense as it is more about the power of the mind and spirit in the face of life’s most difficult challenges.  I shot it in an operating room to represent the significance of being in a supportive environment, yet he is alone as his journey is individual and only his to take.  A special thank you to my son, who bravely and patiently wore the bandaids