the Testing stone Print

James de Blas Psychiatric Superhero It all began in the early nineties with the "˜Legend of Humopia' a healing story of how a planet parallel to the Earth begins to move down a path of insanity and how the spirits of nature work closely with humans to heal the brokenness of the ancient archetype, the madman. Then came the "˜Journey of the Madman', where the madman becomes the centre of a vortex of insanity on a planetary scale. The beings of the planet go in search of their holy grail, the ultimate medicine, Atruehum. If they can find the ingredients and make the most powerful healing medicine ever created, they can use it to heal the first man and save the planet. Yet Atruehum still remains undiscovered... The "˜Madman' is the "˜Psychiatric Superhero'. My proposal for 2012-2013 is to create a superhero graphic novel. It will be an 80-100 page full colour graphic novel that brings the light warrior "˜Psychiatric Superhero's' deep inner struggles out into the open in a highly imaginative and haunting saga. I am endeavouring to create a powerful series of art works that will visually display this archetypal journey, from a state of being cursed to one of liberation, and through the madman's trials and tribulations illustrate how he becomes his own healer and the healer/redeemer of his planet. His mantra is, "˜I take back my infinite power from the negative, even here even now'. The story traces how he masters "˜the law of opposites'. In doing so, he demonstrates to the natural kingdom how to harness the power of the negative universe by commanding its opposite and thus revealing what that opposite actually is. "˜Psychiatric Superhero' passes through his struggles, alone in the dark place of the Hermit, and steps forth into the light - bringing the whole planet and the circle of life along with him. The graphic novel is a story, but the experiences of the "˜Psychiatric Superhero' and the strategies he employs to triumph over evil are drawn from the knowledge and practices I have developed in my daily practice of managing schizophrenia over many years. The mantras I have developed are colourful, yet powerful. The graphic novel is an accessible and engaging way to pass on this wisdom to a broader audience. It is also a format that lends itself beautifully to the expression of my unique sense of humour.