Sparks is an illustrated book that gives empathy and hope to people experiencing a difficult time in their lives.
I created it as a response to the lack of accessible resources that are available to people experiencing mental health difficulties. At the moment, the resources available to people in distress are text heavy and thus inaccessible to those who are most in need of them.
With minimal text, it was essential to include powerfully evocative visuals.
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The book is beautifully designed with illustrations that bring readers on a visual journey through the thoughts and emotions of difficult times.
I worked very closely with two artists, graphic designer Oonagh Young and illustrator Una Gildea, to ensure that the images, combined with the text, created a particular effect, building from a low point to a sense of breaking through.
The absence of an identifiable character allows the book to be gender neutral while enabling the reader to identify directly with the emotions illustrated.
Its purpose is to encourage a personal interpretation. It is about the people who read it and what it means to them. We also considered carefully the size and finish of the book, to come up with something easy to carry yet robust enough to be used regularly.
Feedback about the book has been hugely positive and it is being distributed more widely. The Think Big initiative, a partnership between Headstrong and O2, provided funding for design and a small print run.
I am selling the book online in order to fund a reprint and a bigger distribution. See sparksbook.org
