Generally speaking, the artwork for manic states is heavy and chaotic, while that for depressive states is sparse and quiet. While we do see an occasional traditional comics grid, much of the book is free from those constraints. This is broken up by more realistic interpretations of photos, plus imaginative pages pulled from Forney's sketchbook.

Entirely illustrated in black and white, Forney primarily uses a simple, cartoony approach to capture and relay her interactions and conversations. Several artistic styles are employed in this book. The book concludes with her having an imagined conversation with a previous version of herself, assuring her that everything is going to be okay. She states: “for better or worse, bipolar disorder is an important part of who I am and how I think” (p. We see her engage in cognitive behavioral therapy, start going to yoga, document her mood in a diary, and read the others’ mental illness narratives, all while trying to balance the responsibilities and engagements associated with her professional work.Īfter four years, Forney believes she has finally found balance. The reader observes Forney navigate through several more cycles of depression and mania, each cycle revealing a new tactic employed by Forney to stay in control. Tinkering with her meds becomes a theme that lasts the length of the book, as does Forney's regular visits with her therapist. Working with her psychiatrist, Forney attempts to combat these side-effects by adjusting her medications and doses. Forney begins taking lithium, which unleashes some unbearable side-effects. We see her throw a big party and spend time with friends, all the while demonstrating classic markers for a manic state.Īlthough she initially refuses medication, the onset of a depressive episode changes everything. Refusing medication, Forney resumes life as she knows it. Although she first fights the appropriateness of the diagnosis, she eventually comes to terms with the fact that this is, indeed, what she’s experiencing. Shortly thereafter, Forney meets with a psychiatrist and receives the life-changing diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Opening with this vivid portrayal of the manic side of bipolar disorder, we get a sense of what’s to come in the remaining pages.

The book opens with Forney getting a full-back tattoo-the product of an electric vision-followed by her spontaneously kissing her tattooist and then walking out into the cold night, feeling everything was “magical, intense, and bursting with universal truth” (p. Ellen Forney illustrates her lifelong relationship with bipolar disorder, taking the reader from diagnosis, through the ups and downs, and finally reaching the point where she finds balance and peace.

Inside Out, Portrait of an Eating DisorderĪs the title suggests, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me is absolutely rooted in the author’s mental illness narrative.

Marbles by Ellen Forney