I’ve been continuing the brainstorming process by writing down ideas in my sketchbook. The range of what pops into your head is incredible, I’ve thought about everything from ballet, acting, the Incredible Hulk, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the theater masks of tragedy and comedy, the Greek god Janus, secret identities, etc.
I worked on two new Photoshop sketches today, adding smiling faces to anguished figure poses. The jury is still out on this idea, and I’m hoping by doing more sketches that I can figure out whether this idea is going to work or not.
Two visuals I definitely want to use are smiling and laughing. I see smiles and laughter as the mask I used to wear to hide my depression. It reminds me of this quote that one of my friends showed me recently:
“The loneliest people are the kindest, The saddest people smile the brightest. The most damaged people are the wisest. All because they do not wish to see anyone else suffer the way they do.”
Clara Lieu 
The juxtaposition of the anguished figure and your smiling face is jolting and strange. It’s moving the work into much more ambiguity which is more akin to hiding. How could you hide more through the whole figure? How do we give ourselves away through more subtle body language?
beautiful!
the lotus
can only grow
from the mud 🙂