Indian illustrator captures the struggles of people living with anxiety
An Indian designer is trying to raise awareness about anxiety, through candid and humorous illustrations.
Pranita Kocharekar's "Is That You?" series comprises of 16 illustrations that capture different situations of anxiety, drawn from her own experiences and those of her friends.
"After speaking to a few friends, I realised that there are many people who suffer from minor and major anxiety," Kocharekar told Mashable. "I also realised that there are simple solutions to minor anxiety such as acknowledging it, meditation and breathing techniques. I knew that stating these facts will not be enough. So I began gathering details of incidents that my friends and I acknowledged and illustrated them."
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The Mumbai-based designer also chose to take a light look at an otherwise dark topic, adding humour to the series. "Using a serious approach could make an already anxious person even more anxious," Kocharekar says. "I wanted to keep the mood as light as possible."
However, she was also careful to clarify that the series focused on the emotions rather than symptoms of anxiety, and highlight the importance of consulting a doctor for guidance.
The illustrations were inspired by British illustrator Gemma Corell's drawings on mental illness. Kocharekar first made the illustrations on paper with water colours, and then digitised them to add more details. They were made over a period of one month, with one illustration posted on her Instagram and Facebook accounts daily.
The 24-year-old hopes that her illustrations will help people understand and accept anxiety. "The idea was to let people know that they're not alone, that this is fixable if acknowledged," Kocharekar adds.
The entire "Is That You?" series can be viewed on Instagram and Facebook.
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Topics Instagram Mental Health
Sonam Joshi was Mashable's principal correspondent in India. She has previously worked for The Times of India group and Time Out Delhi, and written for The Caravan, Mint Lounge and Yahoo Originals.
