Post 3

After struggling with anxiety for so long it’s become a huge part of me. It’s something I constantly think about… everyday. It’s debilitating. What baffles me is that, globally, almost 300 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder, yet it remains stigmatized. Mental Disorders in general remain stigmatized despite how much of the world’s population suffer. Society has not placed enough importance on mental health leading to prejudice attitudes around mental illness. People assume that they will be rejected socially and believe they lack value because of it. These stigmas not only diminish self esteem, but robs those people of social opportunities. For example, denied employment or denied accommodation for the illness. A lot of this stems from the lack of knowledge on mental illness. We are not taught enough in school. Our mental health is equally important as our physical health. 

For my semester project I drew inspiration from the artist Candy Chang. She’s an artist, designer, and urban planner who explores making cities more comfortable and contemplative places. She believes in the potential of introspection and collective wisdom in public space to improve our communities and help us lead better lives. After struggling with grief and depression, she channeled her emotional questions into her work. One of her most famous projects, Before I Die, “reimagines the ways the walls of our cities can help us grapple with mortality and meaning as a community today.” This is an interactive project for people to share their hopes and dreams. Over 5,000 Before I Die walls have been created by communities in over 75 countries, including China, Iraq, Argentina, Nigeria, and Kazakhstan. Her other projects, Confessions and A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful really resonated with me and my struggles with mental illness. Chang’s public art works are internationally renowned for their vulnerability and interactivity. Looking at her project A Monument for the Anxious and Hopeful made me happy. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone. A lot of times I feel isolated and that there’s no one else that can understand or relate to what I feel, but Candy Chang’s work changed that. She truly is an amazing artist and activist. 

          Like Candy Chang, I want to create a safe space for people to reflect, share, understand, and connect. When you suffer from mental illness, speaking about it can be extremely hard. Through this project I want to allow people, whether you suffer from mental illness or not, to share, anonymously, their fears and their deepest thoughts because we have more in common with each other than you think. My idea for the project is to shine light on anxiety by creating a wall similar to Candy Chang’s. I want to place my piece in GSUB where people can fill out these little cards that read “my biggest fear is” and place them on my wall. Reading what other people hang onto the wall may help someone in knowing they aren’t alone. Knowing that someone else shares the same fears as you is comforting. I hope I’ll be able to offer people some sort of relief in knowing that they aren’t alone.

Sources
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwj_xM-XoIzmAhUiUt8KHUZkCZkQFjAAegQICRAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcandychang.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw1-9F_iB8gz7L6cc8tbwqmn
https://www.ted.com/speakers/candy_chang
This Artist Turns Anxiety And Fear Into Public Art - Forbeshttps://www.forbes.com › sites › janeclairehervey › 2018/01/30 › this-artist...
https://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=2ahUKEwjPzZvmoIzmAhVmTd8KHROeBwYQFjADegQIDxAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2F322877.php&usg=AOvVaw2hh_ZMZnQaM0TCrarV_izI