Mental Illness is defined as a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy or emotion that make it difficult to cope with the ordinary demands of life. Mental Health Awareness is the movement of ending the stigma that surrounds mental health illnesses and educating the public about them, while also providing support to those who deal with it. This "stigma" is when someone sees a person in a negative way because of their mental illness. They may be seen as different than everyone else and possibly set apart from simply because their brain functions differently. As a result, people are less likely to open up about their mental illnesses and may be more reluctant to seek help.
By creating a T-shirt to promote Mental Health Awareness, it creates a larger awareness of mental health and how it can affect people, while also creating a more normalized environment around treating and coping with mental illnesses. As a result, people feel more comfortable about their condition and are educated on the options they have to obtain help. This way, they feel less like a mental illness is something incurable and must be hidden, and more like something that can be embraced and dealt with.
Inspiration Collage & Preliminary Sketch
I first created a collage to visualize some of the emotions and colors I wanted to work with. I chose a space scene because to me, that represents the mind in the best way. Space can be vast, dark, unknown, and endless, but can also be quite beautiful, peaceful, calming, and breathtaking. In a similar manner, mental disorders can be very dark, but I think it is important to focus on the beautiful things the mind can do, despite dealing with such an illness. This is what led me to my Preliminary Sketch.
Inspirational Collage
Preliminary Sketch
Refined Sketches
Pencil on Paper
Ink on Paper
Digital Roughs
Created in Adobe Illustrator with a Wacom tablet
Final T-Shirt Design
T-Shirt Mockup
