You Don't Belong-
Mixed Media, Adobe Illustrator,
Procreate (AD 270)
This piece, titled You Don’t Belong is based on the isolating, fearful nature of imposter syndrome. I want the viewer to feel seen, 80% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point in their life. The work shows people that they are not alone in this isolating experience. The main focus of the piece is a digitally drawn portrait of me whispering in my own ear, with the words “you don’t belong” floating above, which represents the constant voice in the back of my head saying, “I do not belong, I am not good enough, I got lucky.” This portrait is on a corkboard surrounded by facts about imposter syndrome, all connected by a red string. It was done as a PSA to bring awareness to imposter syndrome. The board is made to look like that of an investigator board, to symbolize the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Making it on a corkboard allowed it to truly communicate the message. I was very inspired by Barbara Kruger when making this piece, as she uses a lot of achromatic imagery as well as a red motif in a lot of her artwork. I did this as the portrait is an achromatic drawing, and the string is a red motif throughout. Kruger’s work also often conveys serious themes and messaging, and the way she does so inspires me. Her themes capture the viewers’ attention because of the saturation contrast between the red and the achromatic images.
The Revision Process
This was the original work I made for concepts and cultures. I was pretty happy with it but made some small changes to upgrade it for 303. The most notable thing I changed was the layout of the piece. I wanted it to look more like a web then a path as no one characteristic leads to another but instead they all feed each other.
The next most notable thing changed was I put all the characteristics on the “sticky notes” to match the investigator board theme better. I also changed the typeface to peniclCASE to make it look like had written notes rather then typed out facts.
Lastly I added sheets of paper to the back that have phrases people with imposter syndrome often think about themselves. This is intentionally subtle as it is to represent the thoughts in the back of your head when you have imposter syndrome.
Here is my digital sketch of the project. Providing this shows why I made the work analog. Although I could add shadows and shading or texture to make the piece work digitally, having the tangible board communicates the messy investigator board theme.