You could have been me - Du kunde ha varit jag!

For three days, photographer Peter Anand Ullberg and I walked the streets of Stockholm, asking people we encountered about their experiences with mental illness, either their own or as caregivers, and inviting them to participate in a photo project. We met the man struggling with heroin addiction who felt too ugly to be photographed, the street sweeper who was delighted to join in, the poet and writer, the fashionista, and many caregivers of those affected by mental health issues. We encountered a TV host, an economics professor, homeless individuals, a newcomer from Afghanistan with his friends who had been here longer, and young people heading to the Pride festival... Mental health affects us all.

With this exhibition and published book, we aim to show that when it comes to mental illness, we are all just humans struggling here on Earth. Perhaps your neighbor, the person sitting next to you on the bus, or someone you meet on the street is affected. What do we really know about what people are dealing with in their lives? When we went to photograph at Stureplan, we had planned to stand under the Mushroom. But when we arrived, there were two homeless people lying there in their sleeping bags. My first thought was "oh no, why are they here!" but they quickly got up and helped us hold the photo lights in the wind. They became part of our team, introducing themselves to everyone we photographed. From homeless in sleeping bags to fellow human beings in less than ten minutes. That's how a stranger can become your best friend. In this book, we have chosen not to label who is who. They are all just people. Like you and me.

Lou Rehnlund, Head of Operations, Hjärnkoll Stockholm

Getting to know strangers in just a few minutes and using the camera as a tool to capture a moment was challenging on many levels. Yet, it was also refreshing as there was no time to dwell on preconceived notions. I had the joy of experiencing what I often encounter as a photographer: meeting another person's gaze through the lens of the camera for a fraction of a second and feeling a deep connection with the divine in that very moment.

Peter Anand Ullberg, Photographer