Behind the Stigma: 
An Animated Exploration


The lines have different speeds, signifyingg the rapid emotional shifts experienced by those with bipolar disorder or personality disorders. The use of many columns reflects the multifaceted nature of these conditions.
With an inconsistent loop of letters and outlines this animation reflects the unpredictable and disorienting experience of dementia.
Illustrated as a never-ending tunnel, this animation stands in solidarity with victims of addiction, a group often heavily stigmatized. The looped, endless nature of the tunnel visualizes the inescapable cycle that addiction can become.
The word appears in varying directions and stretches and distorts irregularly, encapsulating the unpredictable and intense emotional experiences associated with the disorder.
Representing the chaotic nature of ADHD, letters appear and disappear in a haphazard manner against a constantly shifting  cartoonish background.
The word is in a loop that can never quite escape from itself, symbolizing the constant "catch-up" that anxiety imposes on individuals.

The word features an electrostatic buzz over the font, representing the distorted reality and hallucinations that can accompany this condition.


Overview:


"Behind the Stigma" is an intimate multimedia project that captures the complexities of mental health through a series of animations. 
Born from a personal drive to explore mental health topics that often become diluted into buzzwords, the project serves as a creative outlet that allowed me to experiment with animation techniques while navigating my own understanding of mental health.

Importance:

In an environment where 'mental health' is frequently tossed around as a buzzword without true understanding, "Stigma" was more of an introspective endeavor rather than an educational campaign. The project emerged from my desire to sift through the noise and create something that resonated personally, instead of relying on articles or mainstream conversations. 
By marrying my intrigue for mental health with my goal to better understand keyframes in After Effects, "Behind the Stigma" inadvertently became a project that facilitated richer, more nuanced conversations around these often misunderstood topics.

Technical Details:

"Stigma" emerged from a blend of curiosity and experimentation, as I played around with various plugins and tinkered with keyframes in After Effects to understand their mechanics. 
Unlike projects that are meticulously planned from the get-go, "Stigma" thrived on spontaneity. Each animation was essentially a learning experience, concocted "on-the-fly," 

Recognition:


Honestly, this started as a fun project where I got to mess around with typography and play with black and white visuals. I had zero expectations, but then it went viral on Behance, even getting featured in the GIF section—a first for me. I'm still trying to wrap my head around why it blew up the way it did. Maybe it's the absence of explanatory text around the GIFs (on the original project) that allowed the animations to speak directly to the audience?
Conclusion“Behind the Stigma” took me by surprise. It went from being a casual project to learn animation and keyframes to something that struck a chord with a lot of people. 
While I'm still figuring out what exactly made it resonate so widely, it's clear that the project has sparked some level of awareness and conversation around mental health.
And for me, that's a win in its own right, both creatively and personally.



I KNOW IT'S A CONTRADICTION—EXPLAINING ANIMATIONS THAT WERE MEANT TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. BUT HEY, SOMETIMES YOU WANNA TALK, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T. HERE'S ME DOING A BIT OF BOTH.