Soundness of Mend
For the past year, I have been struggling with a chronic health issue that has remained mostly undiagnosed. The sometimes debilitating pain and discomfort have been the bane of crippling depression and anxiety. As professionals, we're told to keep our mental and physical health under wraps, keeping any sign of weakness to ourselves. It makes us unhirable, unlikeable and seemingly weak. I worked my body into the ground for many years, paving the way towards the career I have now.
To have these health issues was devastating. Over the summer, I battled back and forth with wanting to create SOMETHING in order to put my middle finger up in the face of pain and depression. I decided to design and create a large scale installation featuring posters relaying written work that I had put together during the long months of being huddled inside, avoiding my social life because of feeling so unwell. These posters represent a still on-going moment in my life where I am vulnerable and ashamed. However, I continue to tell myself that no one should be prevented from their true creative self or embarrassed because of their health.
“Soundness of mend” is an analogized translation derived from the Latin phrase “mens sana in corpore sano” (”a healthy mind in a healthy body”). The state of mental well being is partner to the health of our delicate bodies. Both need to live in harmony, even in a small way, for us to feel whole. Because I thought I lacked this in my life, I felt it would be a healing property in itself to combine acknowledging my current state, wanting it to change and incorporating the healthy expression of creativity to continue to push forward. Playing with warping type was a way to convey the complexity of living in a body that felt warped itself, not even recognizable to the person who owns it due to battling poor mental and physical wellbeing. I wanted to clash the alternative design approaches with a lush botanical setting and created a way to hang them so that they appeared to “float” and allow for natural movements in the wind.
These photos were shot by one of my best friends, Rima Sater. A photographer based in my hometown of London, Ontario, Rima has been one of my biggest supporters. Working with her on this project meant a lot and allowed me to feel secure in expressing myself. Besides keeping ourselves afloat and never giving up, I feel that during times like these, our inner circle is what usually saves us.
Where to find us:
Design, Art Direction & Writing by Vanessa Buckareff for She’s Got Wonder.
Photography by Rima Sater.