Migraine, headache, and art

migraine time - migraine art courtesy of silas216
Did you know that the three words - migraine headache and art - really do go together*? It's natural, when you think about it. When you've gone through an intense experience, such as a migraine attack or cluster, or if you suffer from chronic headaches, it's something you want to express to others. We want people to understand.

Migraine and various types of headaches have often been misunderstood through the years. Some of the earliest "art" was done by doctors and neurologists trying to understand what was happening in the body.

Migraine Day - courtesy of miss_rogue

Upon seeing an art teacher's portrayals of her migraine attacks, the late David Robinson began to develop the migraine art concept in the 1970s (more about Robinson, migraine, headache and art). This turned into a wider movement, and migraine, headache and art competitions were begun in various parts of the world.

Today, many of these competitions continue. But there's an even bigger revolution - people sharing their photos, paintings and drawings on their own websites, in Facebook, Flickr, and in blogs. This isn't just self-obsession - it's a way to help the rest of the world understand what we're dealing with. It can even help researchers learn more about headaches and migraine, and lead to new understanding and better treatments.

Read more here about the history of migraine art, and see more examples.

Have Your own Migraine or Headache Art to Share?

You want the world to understand? Share your own photo, drawing or painting that tells us what your headaches, migraine or clusters are really like!

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What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

self portrait with migraine
It is like seeing sound,and hearing colors, which only a migrainer could understand.

Zebrallusions
My migraines are either intense headaches or visual disturbances, which never occur together. During the visual migraines, I typically think I am having ...

Blade
It makes me nauseous to even think of it. It appeared yesterday. It was like a jagged saw-blade but oval'ish, not round. But very true saw blade edges....

Migraine Aura
Digital artwork, set against one of my own photos depicting what I see during the migraine aura

The Chute
This is the way I felt, as if the top of my head was going to go off in a horrible chute of pain and nerves and flashing lights. I felt nauseous and ended ...

Blinded
Before and during a migraine my vision is greatly disturbed and I experience pain that feels as though my head is torn apart. My eyes also swell. This ...

Injecting Pointless DHE 1 & 1/2 Inches Deep Into My Thigh
This was during my Hades days with a doctor in Minneapolis, MN, USA, whose philosophy was not to treat disabling migraine pain at all. I was only allowed ...

Voodoo Migraine
Sometimes while in the middle of a migraine, I find myself wondering where did these things ever come from. Although I've heard they are hereditary and ...

Me -- On A Bad Day
I'm always left to wonder why is it that I was saddled with this particular affliction...migraines. I mean -- growing up an asthmatic was bad enough (laughing ...

* Note - this page talks about art based on headaches and migraine. Remember, however, that migraine headaches are only one symptom of migraine. Many people with migraine don't get any headaches at all! Migraine headache is only one possible symptom, not the disease itself. Read more about migraine headache and other symptoms of migraine.

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