Carla began making art after a diagnosis of schizophrenia and mania, and described art as ‘having helped her at worst times of mental illness.’
She created many of her paintings and drawings as recollections of dreams she was experiencing. She described these dreams as often ’being taken over by grandiose images, ideas and voices’. These works were then a focus for her in trying to understand the meaning of the various symbols she identified in the images. Carla often referred to these as 'ingredients', and stated the importance to her of ‘trying to understand the ingredients and their meaning to understand the story/dreams of her congested mind.’
Art helped Carla ‘to find structure through the chaos by turning to art when she feels lost...to mediate, relax and get clarity’.
