Aqueous Headspace
Jacquelyn Wu
Living with mental illness(s) is unarguably a grueling experience. The road is bumpy and never linear. For those experiencing it, their state of well-being may fluctuate with many ups and downs. And in some cases, a painful slippery slope occurs as one condition branches and develops to several others. Mental illness can feel like an endless loop, with moments of elation coupled with dispair. Specifically, bipolar disorder and its vicious cycle of mania and severe depression is an example of this experience.
In the mainstream, the discussion mainly focuses on the negative aspects of living with a condition. In a lot of these conversations, "struggling", "battling" and "coping" with symptoms is a common choice of diction. It contains a connotation that individuals will need to exhaust themselves in intense competition against their illness to achieve an imitation of perceived normalcy. This assumption creates additional stress to a mind that's already in turmoil. Consolidating narratives such as being able to make peace with your condition is rarely mentioned.
To console and uplift people with mental illness, this motion graphic project wishes to encourage that equilibrium is achievable when managing symptoms in mental health. It serves as a screen saver, providing comfort, meditation, and a sense of tranquility. The metaphor of water is utilized to represent symptoms and emotional fluctuations. Like water, mental illness is terrifying because it promises destruction, chaos, and causes us to drown within them. However, water also nurtures, soothes, and allows one to be afloat.