![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/659ed6e7c3306bf1af1b1dea4d222122083fed520804fa64b9e51a5a877d9ea7/wellness-spread-web2-smaller.png)
within, without
An illustrated book that visualizes themes of mental health, wellness, and unwellness in LGBTQ+ Asian American communities, drawn from stories and thoughts collected from LGBTQ+ Asian young adults in the United States.
The illustrations draw from a mix of personal symbolism and respondents’ descriptions of their experiences, and represent 10 paired themes of unwellness/ wellness: distance/ community, empire/ world, chaos/ comfort, rest/ illusion, and expectation/ promise. Paired with quotes from these experiences that correspond with each theme, the visualizations are meant to function as a starting point for consideration & conversation.
The illustrations draw from a mix of personal symbolism and respondents’ descriptions of their experiences, and represent 10 paired themes of unwellness/ wellness: distance/ community, empire/ world, chaos/ comfort, rest/ illusion, and expectation/ promise. Paired with quotes from these experiences that correspond with each theme, the visualizations are meant to function as a starting point for consideration & conversation.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/65d8260c8de73aadbba8554e280f85ff70f9d646cb6afebe04414752e90bff21/wellness-allv2.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fbc0f7597b9b773c6cb27d3e3f201ed5001fa03244f7f771bc7c7fbacdcb7176/ww0-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b184948832cecfabd2195576a3c6265371c27781dd9dd86a69c96571089a7ac7/ww1-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5750cbddfb173c6f73b45a9aad696c0d5acedaed52a382fd5a02b91fe2a6f278/ww2-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2270542b0dad3f9a4a768ad54b464584dc026a2181edb5ee32d71c1e61131936/ww3-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1bc3cd3c49e1daec81b28fb74d5eb31ea2e3075324e138ced04dee72742b939d/ww4-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2bc293779b8ad357382c38dc8874ee0ca1ed6305024c0e6f6d24467a9f7e8130/ww5-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f286ba4c8706e9bc40972102391ca261ade444faa55d38ddd380ece147b2aee7/ww6-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5cbd6300aabdd268d08fa88e3565e0a9ce933f904b63c7186cf9116ac76e3423/ww7-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9180f9a6a69be76797c028d7b3d217de42b365733612ad6e867b1fea2403d9e1/ww8-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/533ceb435248de191db4a471a293a2eb6335b3ceb5439e64971d8dd64ff71ea9/ww9-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/deb3b6f7d21263c7fbe2a8e435941a1ad971bc9fa1bb2280fa51d9fdb5316f59/ww10-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e01868bcb5f8c486f80779a73921c3250c4813aec62e66c2f73c7c94b3234fd0/ww11-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/75981cc6524d57ce59e7118421676acd4e39d3dce06466bb60555844735320f1/ww12-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8c257b8d52135e617f7408a8864c5300d9a62f56a175509076a222a1a5de4bb9/ww13-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/063e3fb7e6c77c157083c19444f7dfad15a9bfdc19932f09f4349abf6bcfe9a7/ww14-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c2929b1144d7113a4e712860ba0ea767b1d7b4ab10209317d8d94f6380ad59a3/ww15-web.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f94a4b1e1e8bdeadf84b70a879dca2c7542c65827f3c0d1c9e9c67640b2e9377/ww16-web.jpg)
process
This project began with exploration of high-level topics, and I gradually settled on the idea of illustration/symbolism as prompts to adress ideas of “wellness” and “unwellness.” From there, I gathered first-hand stories from people over the internet, & read through the responses to synthesize themes & larger ideas which led to the 10 paired concepts. Building off of these concepts, I used a mix of personal symbolism & descriptions respondants used to plan out the final illustrations.
![initial tarot-esque prompts](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5ab963d3f018d9ca42c77c83f6cebc7e3f2e537e835703f9221429b76aba1a3c/IMG_20190925_144123.jpg)
![gathering stories](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/564939e59643ddce1e01da70d0124aeef9f5254ecdbf7b182244083bd52652ac/Screen-Shot-2019-12-12-at-2.34.37-PM.png)
![categorizing themes](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/08bc876f83b6cc4859927417f457d23a8c34543af7aea1dc411b32b701bc7a29/Untitled_Artwork-4.jpg)
![stylization influences](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/47684e43c3c1fc4ecb155e1da95d747f7295098049ff3577536b8bbbb463c773/Screen-Shot-2020-02-05-at-5.52.13-PM.png)
![further sketches](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fd101875f9b1f55b4376995bd52554592582e703f37e6a5099adb8487216312/Screen-Shot-2021-05-14-at-8.38.40-PM.png)
![initial symbolism ideation](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e349bf1b96cd8e66dec1ab7d0c0a37c6c3035fd42b4e96c1b7a0a2601c90caae/IMG_20191201_184806.jpg)
![black & white draft versions](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5bb84b4be521b7694fd13376c7579cdbd9f3cc87c5955f924e475bbf40124f0e/drafts_bw.jpg)