And they would look at me,
No they would stare with eyes almost.
I could feel their stare upon my whole body.
Watching me, beckoning me,
Enticing me with their reflective shimmer.
Even when I would slam the drawer shut and run downstairs,
Now sat on the sofa I can still see them when I close my eyes.
I can feel the coldness of their metal touch
And their blunt blade dig into my fingers.
(Wool felt, machine embroidery: polyester threads and polyester appliqué)
Works by Louisa Hammond.
"I am a textile artist, I live with schizo-affective disorder- my work looks at mental health and tries to open the door of understanding of what it is like to live with a mental illness. During past psychotic episodes, scissors played a major role. I would use them to feel safe from delusions, things that seemed very real to me, and keep them under my pillow. It's hard to convey the full extent of my fear during that time but the scissors were both protector and also held concealed messages where the (schizophrenic) voices derived from. It was a dark confusing nightmarish time from which I'm now free (medicated). I feel it's important to share these memories to raise awareness of psychosis so that it is better understood."