It’s Not Make Believe

The goal of this project was to create an illustration for a poster about a cause of my choice without using any traditional mark making techniques. I discovered how to use the value in everyday and nostalgic items to convey my message.

This poster was made to raise awareness about the topic of youth suicide, focusing specifically on suicidal thoughts in children. Although child suicide is on the rarer side, studies show that nearly one of every eight children between the ages 6 and 12 has suicidal thoughts. The poster was designed to make parents or guardians aware of how common it is for kids to have thoughts of suicide, so they will pay attention to the mental health of the children in their lives and get them help if they need it. The issue is not as rare and unrealistic as people would think, which is why I chose the slogan, “It’s Not Make Believe.” The design uses toys and objects you could easily find in a child’s room to portray an act of suicide. This creates an interesting juxtoposition between the darkness and violence of suicide with the innocence of children.