Riina Cayford

Art is art.

I’ve been surrounded by art my whole life, of course I gave it a taste. It evolved from doodles, to final pieces, to something I wanted to move towards. I planned on making comics with a friend that we could publish in the future years and years back.

I never pulled through.

School happened, and there, my self-consciousness rocketed through the clouds of my own pride. I still drew then, yes, but it became clear that cartoons and inhuman art were the bane of all art forms according to my peers. “Cartoons aren’t real art”. “This looks like so-and-so from so-and-so”. Those hit hard, and from there, I kept my art off the radar from larger groups of peers, and privately studied realism until I got better at it.

Thinking that realistic, even semi-realistic, would gain more respect than my "silly and childish" style, I started off my sustained investigation with Prismacolor and Copic.

~Mental Health Awareness~

My sustained investigation is a presentation of some mental illnesses present in today's society. The ones I chose are often misinterpreted or even romanticized. My goal was to somehow convey these mental illnesses without romanticizing them. Now, this is not to say that I have experiences of ALL of the following I covered. I did extensive research on all of them, yes, but my interpretations are different from person to person.

PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING!!

There will be mentions of sensitive topics. If you feel as though you are triggered by what is being portrayed below, please exit my presentation.

My intentions aren't to diagnose anyone with any of the following illnesses. The descriptions of each mental illness I covered were googled. I am not a therapist or a psychologist. I am an eighteen year-old senior in high school trying to bring awareness to mental disorders. Please consult with a doctor before immediately diagnosing yourself or others. Thank you!

Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD)

PPD - a condition where you have an unrealistic distrust of others or a feeling of being persecuted. Extreme degrees may be a sign of mental illness.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

MDD - A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia - A disorder that affects a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly. Also characterized by thoughts or experiences that seem out of touch with reality, disorganized speech or behavior, and decreased participation in daily activities.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) / Multiple Personality Disorder

DID - A disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states. This is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories.

Bipolar Disorder/Manic Depression

Bipolar - A disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. Manic episodes may include symptoms such as high energy, reduced need for sleep, and loss of touch with reality. Depressive episodes may include symptoms such as low energy, low motivation, and loss of interest in daily activities. Mood episodes last days to months at a time and may also be associated with suicidal thoughts.

~Process~

Original Pieces

As mentioned before my presentation, my initial approach to my sustained investigation was to draw in a semi-realistic style. Because I was drawing from reference, it became repetitive and draining. After my first piece with the semi-realistic style, my motivation had a downward spiral and the other pieces following the first piece became less realistic and more sloppy. Here is my first drawing of PPD as well as the process behind them: