Description:

‘Feathers in a Twist!’ Is a graphic novel project detailing a specific experience of an anxiety disorder by the main character, Ava. Her story is heavily based on my own and others’ experiences of anxiety in a day-to-day setting. From the start, I wanted to be able to tell a story about what I go through with a diagnosed anxiety disorder in order to help remove the negative views around it. Certain case studies proved that telling a story about mental health in an honest but humorous way stuck well with audiences in a form of positive representation.

In order to tell the story I wanted in a genuine, realistic and humorous way, I first had to start by building a solid structure. Using a three-act story arc, I made sure to make my characters original and took the time to craft a rich story on a step-by-step basis and research. This started with planning the arc over the first week, storyboarding by the second and third, and then writing a script over an extra three days. For the next nine weeks, I had an aim to complete 40 pages of sketching and lining, which ended up becoming 54 in order to the full potential of the story. I chose to use illustration in the format of a graphic novel because the medium is able to convey ‘the unseen’ and allows an easily digestible intake of information.

The graphic novel includes characterisations of birds endemic to New Zealand, as they can depict the overall theme of feeling lost and out of place in your own environment or habitat because of anxiety, as well as being specific to New Zealand and New Zealand mental health. The main character, Ava, is the tauhou, a small bird which I feel represents feelings of anxiety due to its jumpy nature. Early in the project, Ava was supposed to be depicted as the pīwakawaka which I ultimately decided against. As a Pākehā, it wasn’t my place to tell a story entwined with such heavy symbolism, as the manu is a common superstition surrounding death in Māori myths and history.

The overall aim of this project is to show a wide audience a realistic interpretation of anxiety through the illustrations I have created. There still remains a significant stigma around mental health in New Zealand which many people face, so creating something that people with anxiety can relate to spreads positive awareness. Because of that, I hope that attention is drawn to the project in a positive way. ‘Feathers in a Twist!’ is an important story to be told in order to start conversations needed to normalise anxiety for those who don't understand the complexities of the disorder, whether it be at work or at home.