Carol
Record

COVID Diaries

In September of 2020, I was hospitalized with COVID-19 and pneumonia for 16 days. I experienced a very intense altered state of consciousness (a change in one's usual mental state and perception) for several weeks. Very little was known about what was happening inside hospitals at the time—especially from a patient perspective, so I was already documenting my COVID experience when my psychosis began. I was vividly aware of my shifting perceptions. I began to analyze my photos, videos, and journal entries to help me understand what I was experiencing and maintain a grasp on reality.

This series of images illustrates some of the key moments from my psychosis using photographs taken at the time layered with notes, journal entries, and handwritten text to create photographic paintings that visually express what I was feeling and experiencing at the time.