{"id":11386,"date":"2024-09-13T09:23:25","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T14:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=11386"},"modified":"2024-09-13T09:23:25","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T14:23:25","slug":"uwm-alum-uses-art-to-promote-mental-health-awareness-across-the-country","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/uwm-alum-uses-art-to-promote-mental-health-awareness-across-the-country\/","title":{"rendered":"UWM alum uses art to promote mental health awareness across the country"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
The work of UWM alum Sarah McGinnis is showcased on Kleenex boxes nationwide, carrying uplifting messages of hope. (Submitted photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The next time you reach for a tissue, you might see an uplifting message and cheery artwork on the box thanks to UWM alum Sarah McGinnis.<\/p>\n

Work by McGinnis is showcased in Target stores nationwide as a featured artist in an ongoing collaboration between Kleenex and Self Care is for Everyone, a collective working to raise mental health awareness.<\/p>\n

For McGinnis, it\u2019s a project that not only touches the lives of others but also reflects her own journey with mental health.<\/p>\n

A creative collaboration<\/h3>\n

The project began when McGinnis, who graduated in 2013 with a BFA in design and visual communication, pitched a collaboration between Kleenex and Self Care is for Everyone at\u00a0Kay James Design<\/a>, where she served as art director.\u00a0<\/em>McGinnis went into the pitch as a fan of Self Care is for Everyone and their approach to mental health awareness.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Sarah McGinnis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While McGinnis did not create art the first year, she served as art director on the project, a role she found to be deeply meaningful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a fulfilling project,\u201d said McGinnis. \u201cI was giving these artists an outlet and exposure on a big brand, in a big store, getting these messages out to the public. It just felt like a win-win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following a successful year, McGinnis\u2019 creative director approached her about being a featured artist. Despite some initial self-doubts, McGinnis recognized she had a story to tell.<\/p>\n

Meaning behind the designs<\/h3>\n

Using her history of mental health challenges as inspiration,\u00a0McGinnis<\/a>\u00a0created two designs to be featured on Kleenex boxes.<\/p>\n

The first design includes the quote \u201cVulnerability isn\u2019t weakness, it is courageous,\u201d accompanied by an illustration of a rainbow with clouds. The second, which is McGinnis\u2019 personal favorite, is an abstract checkerboard featuring the quote \u201cEveryone is a work in progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a work in progress, you\u2019re a work in progress,\u201d said McGinnis. \u201cSomebody that is maybe having a bad day and taking it out on me; they\u2019re a work in progress too. I think that one\u2019s a really good reminder to slow down and not take things too seriously sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

While creating her designs, McGinnis thought back to her time living in Milwaukee, expressing appreciation for the city\u2019s emphasis on embracing unique viewpoints.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Milwaukee community is just so accepting of different points of view and different levels of experience,\u201d said McGinnis, adding that people in the city are \u201calways striving to make things better and to meet people where they\u2019re at when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecting with others<\/h3>\n

McGinnis hopes those who see her messages get extra courage to ask for help when needed.<\/p>\n

Recently, she interacted with somebody who got one of her designs. That person described how their recent battles with obsessive compulsive disorder made the message on the box deeply meaningful to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody saw it, they felt seen, and they took away from it that they should feel proud of their achievements,\u201d McGinnis said. \u201cHonestly, even that one positive interaction with that person is all I can really ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Written by Jason McCullum<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/uwm-alum-uses-art-to-promote-mental-health-awareness-across-the-country\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The next time you reach for a tissue, you might see an uplifting message and cheery artwork on the box thanks to UWM alum Sarah McGinnis. Work by McGinnis is showcased in Target stores nationwide as a featured artist in an ongoing collaboration between Kleenex and Self Care is for Everyone, a collective working to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[107],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-11386","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-milwaukee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/11386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=11386"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=11386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}