The Final Major Project

So I'm currently on the final stretch of college before the end of the year. I get to do a project on whatever I want for about 9 weeks or so before creating an exhibition space in college's 'Final Show'.

I have called my project 'Cranial Porcelain' as I have decided to base it on the delicacy of the human psyche as anxiety has become a large part of my life over the past 6 months or so, even thought I've been suffering from it for a good 6+ years. Mental 'health' is something that really interested me, it's not something you can see, nor can you understand it until you've suffered the same thing. It's a difficult thing to diagnose.

I'm currently focusing on the fact that you can't see anxiety or any other kind of mental illness. I'm figuring out different ways of illustrating the affects it can have on the body, such as fatigue, nausea, and rapid heart rate.

I've done quick drawings on how I feel when experiencing different types of mental illness.

This is an experiment showing what parts of my body are affected most. In this case there is tension in the forehead/brow area and a pressure/burning/discomfort in the chest.

Alongside my project I also have to keep a daily journal of whatever I find to be relevant. (It's mainly to help the examiners see my thought process, but I find it very helpful to keep my thoughts written down, as well as somewhere to write notes without interrupting my sketchbook work).

A lot of my work is currently based on myself, as that's what I know best. But I will be broadening to the people around me as my project continues.

I tend not to talk about my mental health very openly, as it's unfortunately a subject that often isn't taken seriously if you're too open about it, nor is it considered appropriate for light conversation. So I'm finding my current project to be enlightening and therapeutic, but also somewhat triggering (my anxiety has boosted since started this project). Exploring your mental health and all of the little connections your mind makes is incredibly useful for judging your social standing and understanding why you are the way you are. I've learnt a lot about myself in the past 3 weeks of this project.

I'll occasionally post updates on this as well as my final exhibition! :3