Despair Model I is part of the Mire series. Mire is a collection of 8 digital portraits created in episodes of hypomania and depression over the course of 6 months in 2013 and 2014. Hypomania and depression are mental states common to bipolar disorder and can have devastating effects on those involved. I am no longer burdened by the extremities of the disease thanks to the well known medicine (the alkali metal) Lithium. A mire can get you stuck for a long time, getting unstuck is a matter of getting the right help from the right people. These works could easily symbolize the terror of mental illness that shadowed their creation; instead, I happily present them as symbols of optimism and hope.