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ExploringWorld Mental Health Day

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An illustration of a room with a computer monitor on a desk. A rainbow emerges from a vase and curves around the screen, which displays a landscape with a single tree. A larger version of the same landscape is shown on a second monitor to the right. A yellow banner at the bottom reads “WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY”.

World Mental Health Day

On World Mental Health Day, we take the opportunity to gather creatives from across the worlds of graphic design, illustration, art, film and more for a one-day takeover of It’s Nice That to discuss how mental health affects them and to showcase projects that shine a light on this important issue.

A group of people walk together down a narrow street, some carrying long wooden sticks. They wear coordinated green and pink traditional clothing.

“A huge support system”: Meet India’s group of low-caste female vigilantes

10 October 2019
An animation of three colourful shapes on a black background. A pink cloud reads “Kill the stigma”, a blue cloud reads “Creative Confessions”, and a green starburst reads “Written by Veronica Mike”.

Dare to be open, dare to be sensitive: how to shape the conversation around creative mental health

10 October 2019
A black leather lounge chair faces a small screen displaying an abstract blue and white shape. On the wall behind, a long rectangular installation consists of rows of small, repetitive objects.

The Museum of Lost and Found Potential uses interactive portraits to explore how mental health impacts lives

10 October 2019
A bold typographic poster on a green background reads “Graphic Design is Mental”. The text is layered over overlapping shapes in red, black, brown, teal and pink.

Graphic Design is Mental: Tips for looking after your state of mind as a designer

10 October 2019
An illustration of a person in shades of blue and purple, leaning over a rectangular object. The figure is rendered in a grainy, textured style against a pale cream background.

Anna Ginsburg on the mental impact of a gruelling creative process, and her mission to rebalance

10 October 2019
An illustration of a pastel room featuring a computer monitor on a simple table. A rainbow stream flows from the screen, curving into a vase on the left and trailing off to the right.

Welcome to World Mental Health Day 2018 on It's Nice That

10 October 2018
A person wears a wide-brimmed red hat and matching red outfit, looking directly at the camera. They reach forward with one hand, showing long, curved red nails.

Be whoever you want to be: Bunny Kinney on what makes Dazed Beauty so different

10 October 2018
A person uses a black pencil to trace the outline of another person's hand on a sheet of white paper. A second person's hand rests nearby on the page.

Opinion: Art therapy gives patients a voice when there are no words

10 October 2018
Two pages from a book titled “Dark Masks” by Aleesha Nunton. The first page features a blue illustration of a face with a swirling, smoke-like form rising from the head. The second page contains the title and a short poem about loss and ghosts.

Rabbits Road Press gives us a lesson in zine-making for wellbeing

10 October 2018
A two-page spread from a publication. The left page features the title “BRAIN INJURY, ART AND BEING HUMAN” with a hand-drawn arrow connecting the phrases. The right page shows a painting of a person with a distressed expression, their head cradled in their hands.

Matter is the inclusive magazine that treats brain injury with grace and good humour

10 October 2018
A diptych of two portraits featuring a person wearing a white lace top over a sheer black long-sleeved shirt. In the first, they look directly at the camera wearing gold hoop earrings. In the second, they stand in profile against a grey wall with a brown cardigan draped over their shoulders.

For fashion designer Georgina Johnson strength means not being afraid to say no

10 October 2018
A person in a flowing white garment spins in a grassy field, their form blurred by movement. The sheer fabric billows around them like a cloud against a backdrop of bare winter trees.

Steph Wilson speaks honestly about her relationship with mental health and photography

10 October 2018
A building exterior is covered in colourful, folk-style murals. The paintings feature a spotted giraffe, a stylized human figure, and various abstract shapes and creatures. A small sign on the wall reads “Haus der Künstler”.

“There's no difference between artists with special needs and others”: The story of The House of Artists

10 October 2018
An installation of glowing, black spheres covered in large, colourful polka dots. The spheres float at different heights, reflected in a mirrored floor and walls to create an infinite field of light.

It’s hard to think of an artist whose association with mental health is as great as Yayoi Kusama’s

10 October 2018
An illustration of a person’s face, split down the middle by an open cupboard door. The interior shelves are filled with skincare bottles and a toothbrush in a glass.

Jan Buchczik on how illustration helped him be at ease with himself

10 October 2018
An animation in which the words “Clients and Mental Health” appear in pink text on a pale cream background. A black hand-drawn circle briefly appears over the word “Mental” before disappearing.

An illustrator and designer anonymously explain how to tackle a brief infringing on your mental health

10 October 2018
An open book shows two pages of colourful geometric shapes and text. The left page features a composition of squares and rectangles in red, blue, yellow and green, with text mentioning a picture called “The Snail”.

“Five books that bring me calm”: Anxy Magazine's Indhira Rojas' Bookshelf

10 October 2018
A profile portrait of a person with long dark hair, looking downwards. They are laid over a landscape of steep, rocky cliffs and a narrow river valley.

“Wrap facts in fictions, and fictions in facts”: Metahaven on its ICA show, Version History

10 October 2018
An illustration of a minimalist desert landscape under a pink sky. Three pyramids sit before a large yellow sun and a pale blue crescent moon. In the foreground, a simple table and chair stand on a reflective platform between two potted plants.

Illustrator Tor Brandt takes us to a private place of peace and tranquility

10 October 2018
Two people stand close together against a textured grey wall, looking directly at the camera. They are draped in a single, sheer white lace cloth.

Lily Rose Thomas and Stephen Isaac-Wilson legitimise feelings of anxiety in their short film

10 October 2017
Two magazine covers for “Polyester”. The first shows a person with red hair and purple makeup holding a small toy, while the second features a person with hair curlers and bold red lipstick.

Polyester's Ione Gamble on covering mental health sensitively, but not coyly

10 October 2017
Three people stand close together against a black background, holding hands in a tight circle. The person in the centre wears a white Nike T-shirt and looks off to the side with a serious expression.

How Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival is helping people “reclaim” their mental health

10 October 2017
A room with bright red and purple walls decorated with scattered, colourful rectangles and circles. Three round, white light fixtures are set into the white ceiling above.

Hospital Rooms uses visual art to spark positive change in service users

10 October 2017
Several open books and pamphlets are spread across a light grey surface. One page features a bold German text that begins “Muß man leben? Muß man da sein...”.

Nichtsein raises awareness of the factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts

10 October 2017
A 3D render of a surreal, architectural landscape in pink and teal. A small silhouette of a person stands with arms outstretched atop a tiered pink structure, surrounded by oversized tubes and golden ladders.

Illustrators Tishk Barzanji and Charlotte Edey discuss isolation

10 October 2017
A person holds an open planner with pink and blue pages. A small white card tucked inside reads “MAKE IT WORK”.

Phoebe Lovatt’s self-care strategies for success

10 October 2017
An illustration of a black figure sitting in a meditative pose on a white surface. A large, multi-coloured geometric diamond floats above their head, while a small cat sits nearby.

Introducing World Mental Health Day on It’s Nice That

10 October 2017
A person holds open a small green book. The cover features a white concentric cross and the title “Can Graphic Design Save Your Life?”.

GraphicDesign& outline three projects that successfully support and impact mental wellbeing

10 October 2017
An illustration of two people floating in a white void, surrounded by dozens of colourful, patterned socks. They wear matching outfits consisting of checkered trousers and dark, patterned shirts.

“I never, ever thought that I’d end up sharing drawings publicly”: Tara Booth on opening up

10 October 2017
An illustration of a person kneeling on a blue background. Their body is split by a white horizontal gap, creating a disjointed, floating effect.

“Subtlety is key”: Rachel Levit on the art of illustrating sensitive themes

10 October 2017
A person stands in a grassy field, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. Other people stand around them in the background, all wearing bikini bottoms.

Siân Davey on the ways psychotherapy has informed her photography

10 October 2017
An illustration of a red, worm-like figure with a small face and thin legs. Its long body is tangled into a large, messy knot above its head, with a speech bubble that reads “Help.”

Comics Youth harnesses the power of the creative process to deal with mental health issues

10 October 2017

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