Homesick, Reminisce - A Fragile Narrative
Falmouth University, 2018
Brief
Centred around the theme of ‘Fact & Fiction’ write a story based on a life experience. Find a compelling way to express your story in the form of a physical ‘book’. Identify a clear ‘purpose’ and explore the way visual elements contribute to the construction of a narrative.
Outcome
A fragile narrative situated around the idea of leaving home and the realisation that the ‘little things’, which were once insignificant, gain importance upon departure from your familiar environment. My narrative is about the homesickness I experienced upon moving to Falmouth, for University. Central themes include fragility, distance, and the ‘little things’ that remind me of home.
The concertina format allowed me to tell the story in two parts – the painful experience of leaving home, followed by a tale of reminiscence on the reverse. As the pages unfold, my distance from home increases. The book’s format also reflects my feelings of vulnerability, becoming increasingly fragile as it unfurls away from the protective, hardback cover, designed to suggest the front door of a house.
The second side of the story highlights my realisation that when removed from our familiar environments, the ‘little things’ we previously took for granted gain significance. The trail of these ‘little things’ leads the reader back to the beginning – a place of security, support and structure.
The tissue box adds an interactive dimension to my narrative. Tissues are ‘little things’, often disregarded, only appreciated in times of need. My story may leave readers feeling fragile – the tissues are there to ‘help alleviate symptoms of homesickness’, Each tissue holds a screen-printed statement, encouraging readers to consider and find comfort in memories of their own ‘little things’. The tissues are pocket-sized reminders of home, to be carried anywhere in the world. The internal appearance of the box reflects the idiom “every cloud has a silver lining”.
Typography, Editorial, Creative Writing, Print and Craft Skills
