Coping with Sensitivity to Light

Coping with Sensitivity to Light


All forms of visual stimulations place extra strain on my already overworked brain, which constantly ties to process and cope with sensory overload. The greatest forms of visual stimulation come from lights: natural sunshine, artificial indoor lights and screens on electronic devices. Even the smallest exposure to light can be enough to aggravate symptoms and cause harm.


BRAVE is all about the small acts of courage needed to carry on and move forward. To me, being brave means finding the right balance of putting my physical needs first with my desires of enjoyment in different environments, where I may not be in control of external lights. This means being creative with how I adapt to ambient lights without compromise.   

About the Series


BRAVE is a light-hearted, humourous comic series on concussions. The 10 part mini-series shines a light on the small acts of courage needed to carry on and find your own way forward following a head injury. The hand-drawn and coloured illustrations that accept inconsistencies parallel the human experience which is disjointed and imperfect.


The creator of BRAVE, Kanika Gupta, lives with Post-Concussive Syndrome.


Disclaimer: BRAVE comic series is not a substitute for medical advice. Rather it provides an honest, first-hand account of what it means to live with a concussion. 

About the Creator


Kanika Gupta is a multidisciplinary artist and social entrepreneur who uses visual art, writing and storytelling to create dialogue to generate greater compassion for what it means to be human. Her entire visual artistic practice draws inspiration from and is grounded in her lived experiences. 


Visual art first entered Kanika’s world after a concussion as it was the only activity her symptoms could tolerate. Her practice has since evolved and she is now a full-time artist whose work has been presented in curated public art installations at Union Station and Gardiner Museum and exhibited in galleries across Toronto. 


Kanika’s artwork and community building endeavours have been profiled internationally, including feature coverage in CBC Radio, Radio-Canada, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living Magazine, Forbes, The Times of India, The Guardian, Huffington Post.