Timebomb

When people think about Tourette Syndrome (TS) they immediately think of people swearing and violently hitting themselves. This may be true for some but only about 1 in 10 people with TS experience swearing tics (I’m one of those lucky few).

Something that isn’t often spoken about is the invisible symptoms of Tourettes. When I’m in public I tend to spend a lot of my energy and attention on suppressing my tics. Consequently, I find it harder to concentrate on what’s happening around me. Even when I’m not ticking outwardly, I’m still ticking in my head.

This series “Timebomb” is my attempt to shatter the stereotypes around TS. Often people I meet seem to think that what they see is the defining reality of who I am. With my Tourettes I sometimes feel invisible and without a voice, symbolised by the solid faceless figure. The ghostly figures surrounding it are a representation of my tics and how I feel they dominate many people’s first impressions of me.