I was inspired on a recent trip to London to begin illustrating a new comic about mental health.
I've being going through a rough time recently, and I wanted to find some way of resolving the many negative thoughts that flit through my mind every day.
My sister Lizzie Heath is an illustrator, and she recommended that I turn my feelings into art.
A lightbulb went on! I started thinking how I would like people to understand more about my own mental health struggles.
Someone at my coworking space showed me their beautiful comic they had made during their university course on comics and illustration (so jealous!) about their struggles with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
I suffer from a form of PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) called Complex PTSD, which occasionally makes it difficult to cope with everyday life.
I can feel very anxious and panicky over the smallest things. Sometimes I feel very depressed.
I decided to design a comic that would explore Complex PTSD and how it feels, so that people can learn more about it.
Here is the beginning of the first panel:
I've been creating webcomics for many years on and off, so watch this space where I'll upload some past comics soon. Usually they tend towards social commentary, but now I want to focus on my own personal experience.
I'm trying to get better at composition and storytelling, and experimenting with different ways of presenting the panels.
What experiences do you have of trying to express something meaningful, either through art or another medium?
Published date: Tuesday 6 November 2018
Main image: by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
By Catherine Heath. I'm a freelance writer based in Manchester. I'm community builder for KnowledgeOwl, who also make this website.
