42 The Power of Visual Narratives

For this assignment, I decided to make a second draft of my collage from project prep 3. I wanted to expand my visual depiction of postpartum depression to further emphasize all the complexities of bringing a new life into the world. When creating my first draft, I realized how difficult it was to fit all the images I found in such a small space, and so I chose to use 2 pieces of paper for this version. I really liked the color scheme of red and pinks I had used, as well as the imagery of hands to symbolize motherhood. When combing through my magazines I found a picture of an opening door and thought that was very fitting: the experience of birth quite literally opens the door into life for another human, but it also opens the possibility of an illness like postpartum depression. If left untreated, PPD can negatively impact the lives of both mother and baby, but if treated, there’s a possibility for the door that leads to pain, sadness, and anxieties to be shut.