Sarah Thomas

For most of my life, I have battled several mental illnesses. I have witnessed first-hand what others have faced and would like to spread more awareness of this topic through imagery. My work focuses on exploring deep meanings through psychology and bringing awareness to mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and the process of recovery. I have always found interest in learning about how the mind works and what makes us who we are. This series was created through the combination of two of my favorite interests, art and psychology. Through my work, I am discovering and creating more ways to help bring more awareness to the severity and reality of mental illnesses.

My exhibition was created to help others better understand the lives of people who struggle with mental illnesses. Each design depicts one of nine mental illnesses or negative thoughts and emotions. There are six that cover seeking treatment and the process of recovery. With these designs, I hope to bring more awareness to the severity and reality of what people who battle with a mental illness face.

The primary medium I work with is digital design using the programs InDesign and Illustrator. In Illustrator, the imagery is created and then placed into InDesign with the already graphed out typography. To help make the typography and imagery harmonize, I design a specific background to match the meaning of the type and the energy of the image. Once the designs are complete, they are printed as archival pigment prints. Within this series, there are fifteen digital posters and an informational card for each poster. I chose this medium because it not only brings awareness to people who attend my show – the viewers are capable of spreading awareness through the distribution of the informational cards as well. For example, someone who visits my show can pick up one of the informational cards and spread more awareness outside of the show to a larger audience. This was the primary reason I chose digital design as the medium of my work. Digital design and typography are inspiring to work with and help me express my true emotions to a wide range of viewers.