Beau the Fatigue Rescuer
Viviann Nguyen
Beau the Fatigue Rescuer is an original illustrated character meant to promote rest to counter fatigue and exhaustion brought on by the hectic pace of daily life. This character is applied to stationary and other objects that relate to resting and organization such as stickers, sticky notes, a blanket, pillow, sleep mask, and mug.
I chose to illustrate a koala because they are known to sleep for up to 20 hours a day due to their low energy. Inspired by Japanese Kawaii culture, I designed the character to have big eyes, a big head, and a small round body to emphasize cuteness, as is common in chibi characters. I also took inspiration from Sanrio, especially their character Gudetama, a lazy egg character who was created to help people express their feelings of depression in a humorous way. This topic came from the fact that I personally suffer from narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder that makes me tired throughout the day so taking breaks is very important to me. Today’s hectic work culture prevents people from getting enough rest, leading to illness and burnout. We yearn for rest, but feel anxious that perhaps we are being lazy, or that we aren’t making the most of our lives. My goal is to bring awareness to people that it's okay to take breaks and rest by putting my character into scenarios that are relatable and showcasing the different ways to rest.