Visual Journal research and proposal extension questions:

What do you already know:

• I know that mental health is a serious and legitimate thing that can heavily effect peoples lives, and the lives of those around them.
• It has a negative stigma about it, some don't recognise it as an illness, but as a weakness or something that can be snapped out of. Lack of understanding.
• Its a very sensitive and personal subject, everyone is different and will have different experiences.
• It's very difficult for those close to one affected with mental health illness, especially if the condition is undiagnosed/recognised.
• Current campaigns for mental health are under supported, and do not have very good imagery/artistry attached.
• It's something quite close to my heart, and something I have always wanted to try and understand better myself, and to be helpful.

What do you want to know more about?

• I want to know more about the conditions themselves.
• I want to know what advice and aid is recommended by charities and health organisations out there.
• I want to know more about the existing campaigns.
• I want to find out the best way to portray and negotiate this subject, both in terms of content, context, and aesthetically. What media is best used, what approach to imagery and image making?

What will you do to find out about it?

• I will consult information provided by the NHS, to get as accurate and medically correct understand/research as possible.
• Look at existing charities and their campaigns, such as Mind and Time to change.
• Talk to others and see what their perceptions and experiences of this subject is.

What themes are you interested in exploring?

• Using characters to describe and make thins information more accessible and interesting to people, in the hope to make campaigns more successful and memorable.
• Interested in exploring themes of sensitivity, and portraying emotion and feeling through my drawings.

What subjects are you interested in exploring?

• I'm interested in depression and OCD especially.

What texts have you been exploring?

• I've been reading works by ... and illustrated by David Hughes, particularly 'The Hole in the Sum of my Parts' It is a book and collection of poems which explore abstract themes quite strongly based around human emotion and experiences, that are perhaps more vauge or a different and interesting perspectives. People can appreciate and relate to different moment of different poems, but probably not all of them. 
• 'Your illustrated guide to becoming at one with the universe' by Yumi Sakugawa. This is a book that is quite lovely and simple to read, and is actually something I gave to my friend who had some spells of sadness. It is a book that clears your mind and helps you to feel more at peace with life, and perhaps take things more simply if life is becoming a bit much or sore.