ABOUT THE PROJECT
Alucinem is a project by Kerragen Dibble and Darcy Sapielak exploring the importance of emotions.
Alucinem is an illustrated narrative series that explores the importance of understanding true emotions. Society has conditioned us to judge ourselves and others based on what is considered socially acceptable at any given time. How would we view each other if our emotions acted as monsters that reflected on and manifested how we feel about our world and ourselves? In Alucinem, monsters act as reflections of true emotion and show how people are judged mostly by outward appearance. By really getting to know these monsters, and in turn the humans they belong to, we learn of their true nature and have a better perspective on their true selves.
Art and design can be used to express emotions and represent one’s mental health and if applicable, illness. Emotional regulation and suppression is a problem in society and emotional inhibition has extreme detrimental effects of an unregulated state of mind. Alucinem is an illustrated narrative series that explores the importance of visual representation of abstract emotions. The series focuses on characters that struggle to find themselves in an isolating society that rejects emotional liberty. This representation of distinct cognitive perspectives is a stepping-stone toward psychological freedom and acceptance.
The purpose of this project is to “strengthen emotional intelligence and intuitive abilities” (Leueen). Personifying emotions can help regulate and represent a person’s feelings in a new and improved point of view. This is important because there has been little research on emotional regulation and suppression, despite the fact that it is a huge problem in society and the world. Emotion regulation and dysregulations are also huge factors in mental health and illness. This is important, especially in people with mental illness, to help them realize the problem and work toward a healthier life. The scholarly article, “Hiding Feelings: The Acute Effects of Inhibiting Negative and Positive Emotion,” by James J. Gross from Stanford University and Robert W. Levenson from the University of California, Berkeley, states, “Major depressive disorder is characterized by a deficit of positive emotion and/or a surplus of negative emotion; generalized anxiety disorder by heightened levels of anxiety; schizophrenia, disorganized type, by inappropriate emotional responses; and histrionic personality disorder by excessive emotionality” (Gross & Levenson). Personifying emotions can help regulate and represent a person’s feelings in a new and improved point of view.
