why this project?

I didn't want to step into something so vast and sad, not for the project that supposedly launches me into the world as an illustrator/designer. I wanted to do something light and fun. Music, fashion, colour, anything but abuse.

But here it is, my fyp about the cycle of abuse.

The true reason I'm doing it is I dreamt of them again: the children. I went to the Home to visit, and T and M came and sat on the bed beside me and talked to me. I put my arms around them both and said, "You must learn to love each other." 

That's it then. I listen to my dreams. They tell me what is important to me, what lasts after music and fashion and colour. 

"You must learn to love each other" sounds so mundane. But it is a big lesson for these children, who grow up learning that they must fight and be alert to keep what is their own. 

I can't protect them from circumstances now, not by volunteering at a camp once a year. But I can help to break the cycle by teaching them that love can be safe. That they don't have to grow into their adult bodies with the same tense hearts of hardened children. 

What I can't wrap my mind around is the lens of this project. There's a campaign, a company identity, print media, new media, and installation. I flung myself at Installation because it was the only one that seemed airy and large enough to contain everything I want to say. But maybe not.