Brief
Create a series of illustrations that reflect and support a social issue in a group that you are a part of. This series of illustrations should encourage empathy and discussion around the topic, and should be applied to at least three merchandise items.
Insight
Through research, it was found that the transitional phase of starting mental health medication is scary and full of doubt, especially for generation Z who are still young and don’t know what to expect.
Solution
Ontwikkeling in Aksie (Work in Progress) is a zine and mental wellness pack that will be given to gen z’s who have been prescribed mental health medication for the first time by their healthcare professional. The goal of the pack will be to make the recipients more comfortable with their transition onto mental health medication. It will consist of a zine explaining what to expect when starting mental health medication in an approachable way, as well as a journal and sticker sheets to be used to record mood changes and side effects. The pack will also include a button badge for the recipient to wear to remind them that they are not alone in their journey.

Onwikkeling in Aksie book (translation)
Work in Progress
hey you!
How are you doing?
Not great, huh?
Hmm, been there.
Choosing to try meds is a big step and I’m so proud of you!
Well done on prioritising your mental health and getting help, but remember,
It doesn’t stop here.
You’ve still got to put in the work, but I’m so excited for you to start on this journey!
You’re gonna notice some weird side effects,
all neatly noted in that cool free poster with scary words on it that came in
your medication box.
Most of the time, they’ll be the kind you can adapt to,
but if you feel anything super weird, go speak to your doctor.

Noting it down helps.
Hold on,
Wait!
Listen to me!
I’m not saying that it will solve everything!
Obviously it won’t or we wouldn’t be here, but it does help to know how your meds are affecting you.
It’s also pretty useful to show to your doctor if they ask how you’re doing and you go blank and suddenly can’t even remember your name.
DO NOT JUST STOP TAKING YOUR MEDS!!!
Seriously!
Your brain goes all zappy
and your stomach goes all throwy uppy
and it’s awful for you and everyone around you.
Oh, and do me
a favour,
I_f you Google your symptoms, don’t freak out.
Know when to close that tab.
If one doesn’t work,
there’s a good chance that a different medication will!
Don’t
give
up!
This process really is a lot of trial and error and it’s a bit annoying,
but once you find the right one you’ll feel so much better.
Not that you’ll necessarily feel good about being “better”right away.
Mental health is complicated, and
it’s common to feel uncomfortable when you’re undergoing changes,
even if they are good changes.
You were sick for so long that it became your “normal”,
and it might make you feel weird to not feel that way anymore.
Try to remind yourself that change is necessary for growth.
It’s okay to feel
uncomfortable with it!
Now for the scary stuff.
You might feel ashamed to be on
mental health medication.
Since we’re in our heads all the time,
it can feel like a personal failure that
we haven’t figured out
how to fix ourselves.
A lot of people have a lot of opinions on mental health medication, and they might feel the need to make their opinions known. Sometimes these are quite hurtful.
People may act like you can’t look after yourself Like your illness isn’t valid Like you’re a crazy person They might also distance themselves.
As much as the journey you’re going on is personal, it also impacts those around you.
Sometimes those close to us take it personally and feel that they failed
to support us.
This can lead to a lot of complex emotions around the medication process, and they might push their feelings of failure onto you.
It’s really up to you to choose your battles. Sometimes it just isn’t worth trying
to convince people to take you seriously,
and sometimes it hurts.

Remember that it’s not your job to convince people to take you seriously.

It’s important to put yourself first, and sometimes this means leaving people that
don’t support you.
This especially hurts when it comes from someone you love. Sometimes people just won’t come around. This just suck.
I’m sorry if you have to deal with it.
But there will always be people who will
support you.
Hold on tight
to them.
It’s going to be a long journey, with a lot of hurdles,
but I believe in you!
You’ve got this!