Critical Reflection for Magazine.

I decided to base both my spreads on the same topic, because I could write generally about statistics and then with the confessional interview provide a personal account. I chose mental health because I have always had an interest in the idea of mental illness and considered why there is a stigma attached to mental health that is not present with physical health. I began to speak to friends and relatives who I knew suffered from depression. I had seen an article in a magazine in which a photographer had taken pictures of victims of sexual assault, holding up cards of what their attackers had said to them. Many of the people in the pictures said that they found the experience ‘liberating’. I decided to adapt this idea to apply to my sufferers of depression. The people I spoke to told me how depression felt to them, and I took a section from each of their answers and wrote them on cards. In my pictures, the cards are used to cover the individuals face. This is to express the idea that mental illness is a mask that shields you from your former self. It is only when a person reaches the other side of their depression that they are able to feel like themselves again. One woman that I spoke to said that she had recently been to her doctor to say that she felt that she was ready to come off her anti-depressants. Her quote is ‘I feel like the sun is starting to come out’, which is why in this picture, the card is not used to cover her identity. For the writing that goes with it I wrote about statistics of people with mental health in the UK. I detailed my discussions with the mental health advisor on campus and the different techniques that she uses to help people who come to see her. I also discussed some campaigns that are running at the moment, such as Time to Change and the new iTalk app for helping to diagnose sufferers. I edited my pictures in photoshop before putting them into fireworks where I produced my spread. I am happy with the outcome of this spread, although I feel that the pictures take up much of the room and I had a lot more to say. However, there are a lot of words on my other spread so I do feel it is better that I didn't write as much on this one.


My second spread is a confessional interview with a woman who has suffered from depression in her adult life. Although I was unsure of whether it would be a good idea to do both my spreads on depression and not provide a more varied view of mental illness, I thought her story was very moving. I originally planned to conduct a confessional interview with a man I had read about in the paper. His daughter had been plagued by mental illness and when she admitted herself to a hospital, she was released despite her and her father’s pleas. She committed suicide that same day. I made one attempt to contact Mr. Nye, the girl’s father, but he did not reply and I felt it better not to push the matter. I think Gemma’s story is inspirational to people suffering from mental illness, which is the reason I chose it for my spread. I knew some people who suffered from depression and have done for many years, but I felt uneasy talking to them because they were close family friends, and I found it difficult to see them in such a different light to how I had done in my childhood. I was then introduced to Gemma by my mum, she had been friends with Gemma and my dad had known her husband Trevor. Gemma said that she would be thrilled to talk to me, and I conducted five or six interviews with her over an extended period of time. I found it difficult to cut Gemma's story down. Although I have taken out several parts that I had originally left in, i realise that it is still very long for a confessional interview in a magazine. Despite this, I felt the pieces that I didn't remove are key to Gemma's story, her downfall and her recovery. To create this spread, I spent several hours writing up my conversations with Gemma and then condensed my notes. After putting them into Fireworks I had to condense them again before I put in pictures and headings. If I were to redo this spread I would try to cut it down further, however I would have had to spend much more time with Gemma and at the time this was not plausible. I would also have liked to include a picture of Gemma with her daughter Alanah and I regret not asking for one.


I think that my spreads could both be used in the same magazine if there were one that specified in mental health. They both have different information to offer on the same topic and I think they are both informative. I also think that my spreads could also be used individually, Gemma's story would most likely be found in magazines such as Pick Me Up where at my spread 'It's time to talk about mental health' is tailored to students, and would be based in a student magazine. If this spread were not specific to university I think that it could be used in more popular magazines, such as Company.