Barbara Batista

Ira and the Forest

A girl finds herself travelling through a dark and mysterious forest where she confronts her anxieties and fears in the form of strange, glowy-eyed creatures, only to discover that she’s capable of redefining her own reality.

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For my thesis project, I am creating a short webcomic/visual novel about my personal journey with mental health. I’m writing a story about anxiety, isolation, fear, and hope through the visual storytelling medium of graphic novels – mixing mental health narratives with dream/fantasy elements. The story follows a girl traveling through a dark forest where she confronts her fears and insecurities in the form of strange, glowy-eyed creatures, only to discover that she is capable of redefining her own reality. Ira, my main character, suffers from similar struggles that I have faced in my life and I want to use her as a way to explore the narrative of how even though mental health issues, specifically anxiety, can be overwhelming and sometimes debilitating, we do have the power within ourselves to cope and to live life despite the fear.

Website: barbarabatista.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @_barb_art

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