Evaluation

The assignment brief was to produce a piece of digital art that identifies a social and ethical issue in the world, for this project i chose depression because i felt like i knew more about the effects than any other issue that was given to us. The first thing we did was brain storm ideas and questions then gather research based on the questions given so i went onto various sites grabbing information on the effect, what causes it and ways to help and prevent it form harming others. We then went onto find artists work that inspired us and i looked into many works to fine peoples art that i like and alot of it wasnt anything recreational so i found myself wondering what i could think of which is a physical representation of depression or what its like.

The Primary and Secondary research i did was very lacking as i didnt put to much effort into my primary research as all i did was a basic questionaire which help emphasize the spike image in my final project but i more focused on finding out information from sites and looking at information i could add to my project which took majority of the time as i was relooking at the same information over and over and not really finding out much information. For my project i decided to create and information style poster that gives quick easy information to help people realize how tragic depression can be not for adults but for teenagers too. The idea behind it is the spike represents depression and the weights are the emotions weighing you down making the spike pierce you more and more increasing the pain caused, i feel like this is a good way to present depression as it eye catching and shows you the real tragedy it brings. I chose rather dull colours to really grasp the dull emotions caused by depression and give the audience alittle slice of what it feels like. i created the image by first drawing the picture by hand which took a rather long time to do.

The tools i used were basic, but first i scanned my picture then uploaded onto Photoshop. Using the pen tool and low opacity i outlined over my drawing  and fulled the back ground in grey, i wanted a purple type colour but i couldnt find a good purple to go in the back so i stuck with a grey for more dullness instead, i added my text using the text tool and then added a small texture to my spike, nothing speacial went into the work as im not very good with using Photoshop therefore i didnt learn any new skills. My time management was near to non exsistant as i didnt stick to my schedule as i found it to inaccurate to my work rate and i just didnt bother with it. I dont like how the poster came out i found it rather bland and boring and it wasnt very well done due to my lack of skill and my lack of enjoyment for the project. If i could change anything i would change the topic of discussion to somthing with more information to looks at. There wasnt any major problems to my work it was more work efficiency that i lacked in but this was overcome during the last few days.

I believe my poster addressed my target audience which was the common public ,to a certain degree as the peer feed back told me that what i was portraying was getting to the audience and they were understanding the information. I believe my presentation went well i gave my honest opinion and i told what i did and i gave a good description for it.

slides

The presentation I personally thought went well I was a little nervous and on edge but I got the points that I wanted out there. The tutor feedback said that I needed to rehearse and be more confident in my speach.

Proposal

Proposal

The theme I have chose for my project is depression, I personally think that depression is a major problem in UK's current society. I not only affects Adults but also children and is one of the major causes of early deaths. There are to many misconceptions on depression that people fail to see in the world therefore I want to help recognize these misconceptions. I will most likely use Photoshop to create my image because it allows me to manipulate and create some really interesting artwork. My creation would be along the lines of being empty and full of horrible and scary thoughts. I will put it onto a poster about depression awareness and its affects as I thinks its a quick and easy way to express it. I'll look for initial poster in the similar style and look at other media ways online to find and plan out an idea for what i'm doing, my target audience will be those who are of teenage and younger who don't understand the idea of depression and its effects and maybe those older who don't know too. My final piece will be created on a poster created in Photoshop using my photos I have taken.

Brain Storm

Depression (Brain Storm)

Coping with different emotions is part of everyone’s life, and we all feel happy and sad at different times. Sometimes feeling sad is a natural and appropriate response to what is happening in our lives. Mostly, we find the passage of time, life changes and the support of those around us help these feelings go away.

Depression occurs when sad feelings do not go away, and when they overwhelm a person and stop them from doing the things they normally do. It used to be thought that children and young people couldn't get depressed, but in fact they can, they may just show it in a different way to adults

Research:

What causes it?

What can you do to help yourself?

What you can do to help some with it?

Depression is not always the easiest problem to spot or get a child to admit to. Some children can talk about feeling unhappy, but others are only able to show how they feel through the way they behave.

Signs of depression may include:

§  Finding it hard to concentrate, losing interest in schoolwork and play

§  Refusing to go to school, or playing truant

§  Constantly complaining of feeling bored or lonely, even when they have friends

§  Irritability and moodiness beyond the normal range

§  Tearfulness

§  Defiance or violent outbursts

§  Lack of confidence and blaming themselves if things go wrong

§  Disruptive behaviour at school, bullying, stealing or doing other things that lead to them being punished.

§  Becoming very withdrawn

§  Self-injury or drinking or taking drugs to excess

§  Sleeping very little or too much

§  Younger children may appear to take backwards steps in their development, for example with toilet training or eating.

TEENAGERS AND DEPRESSION

Teenagers are often moody and uncommunicative, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are depressed. It is just part of normal adolescence and is related to hormonal changes and development as they try to find their place in the world.

However, some teenagers get stuck and can find the changes they are going through just too much to cope with. They may withdraw completely, or seek relief by harming themselves or taking risks and refusing to toe the line.

An added problem is that teenagers often refuse to talk to their parents about difficult issues and this can be really worrying for parents.

If your teenager is displaying lots of the signs above and it has been going on for a while, it is best to seek help viaYoungMinds Parents' Helpline or by talking to your GP.

You can email the Parents Helpline by filling out the online contact form and selecting ‘Parents Helpline’. 

·         Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – this is seasonal depression which is related to day length. It usually comes on in the autumn and winter, when days are short and the sun is low in the sky, and gets better as the days get longer and brighter. (See Understanding seasonal affective disorder.)

·         Postnatal depression – many mothers have ‘the baby blues’ soon after the birth of their baby, but it usually passes after a day or two. Postnatal depression is a much more serious problem and can occur any time between two weeks and two years after the birth. (See Understanding postnatal depression.)

·         Bipolar disorder (manic depression) – some people have major mood swings, when periods of depression alternate with periods of mania. When manic, they are in a state of high excitement, and may plan and may try to carry out over-ambitious schemes and ideas. They often then have periods of severe depression. (See Understanding bipolar disorder.)

1. Depression distorts your thinking. When you are depressed, your mind can play tricks on you. If you have thoughts of suicide, please call someone immediately. Don't let a temporary glitch in your thinking cause you to harm yourself or another.

2. Depression makes you selfish. It's very hard to think of other people when you're wrapped in a prickly blanket of sadness, and all you can think about is your own pain. Be proactive and take the steps you need to heal.

3. Depression is experienced as anxiety 65 percent of the time. Make sure you get an accurate diagnosis, so you can get the most effective treatment available.

4. Persistent irritability can be a symptom of depression. If the world, your life, or your loved ones constantly tick you off, the cause might be something that's going on inside of you.

5. Chronic pain can be another symptom of depression. At the same time, being in continual discomfort can cause you to become depressed. When you are depressed and in pain, it can be hard to know which came first.

6. Alcohol is a depressant. So are marijuana and a host of other recreational or street drugs. Self-medication is not going to get you better and will surely make you worse over time. Remember that all medications, including anti-depressants, have side effects.

7. People don't choose to be depressed, but they do make a choice about how to deal with it. You can choose to do nothing, but denying that you have a problem will only make you feel worse.

8. The origin of depression can be situational and/or bio-chemical. If you are experiencing mild to moderate situational depression (resulting from the loss of a job, for example), counselling will help you. Most bio-chemical depressions that are moderate to severe are best treated with a combination of medicine and psychotherapy. 

9. Depression can be as hard on your loved ones as it is on you. Those closest to you may start to feel unloved, and may distance themselves so they aren't pulled into your pain.  Remember that others are counting on you.

10. Exercise is the easiest and least expensive cure for depression. Just walking 30 minutes a day will help you and sometimes completely alleviate your symptoms. For this very reason, many therapists take walks with clients instead of doing "couch time.