Classes 15 and 16 - The poster

So finally after much debate regarding my poster to do with "Is Junk Food Really Cheap in the Long Run", I struggled with an internal struggle of sorts. I came to the realization that I did not like any of my ideas, because they at worst were preachy and at best they were depressing or simply stating facts or trying to give people a different look at obesity which just did not sit well with me. The thing I HATE, yes HATE about social justice posters are these qualities I have just stated above. When I see posters or images like this, and trust me they come at me all day from everywhere, I realize how immune I am to them as they do not offer me a way to help the situation, but are either simply depressing in restating already well know facts or stats, or new ones, or they are preaching either overtly or smugly what or what not to do, or what or what is not good for you and why. Arrrrrrrrr.....

This is why I wanted to create a poster to do with change. So instead I stick with the topic of obesity and I add to it the element of change and choice. I still want to appeal to as many people as possible, and because I am interested in helping, I do not profess that a poster can solve the problem or even come close, but what it can do is plant a seed of change or choice - which I feel is rather more effective than simply depressing people and then turning them off, thus making the problem just seem daunting. Oh and on another not, the posters that do advocate change, want change NOW, not soon, not tomorrow, not next year, but NOW or YESTERDAY - these then well... they tend to go towards making people feel hopeless as it cannot all happen NOW! Change takes time, even if we may not have the time, change takes time. Lets get back to the basics people. Its called one step at a time, or one small change every week - way more effective than having to climb a full mountain in an hour.

Sorry for the rant, but really, we need to think about what we put out there in the world in how it is going to affect people. So anyhow my new poster design will aim as stated above not to tell people to change NOW, or DEMAND that they change OR ELSE, but it aims to give people a choice, an option, compassion, understanding that change does take time, and respect that it is their choice.

So below I have put the image of my final poster, it is not "pretty", or "fancy" or even "sensational". My poster is not meant to shock people, or sway their opinion. My poster is about respect, and choice, and truth, and time. It is a poster that I can put into the world that I can hope affects people in a positive light, and at least does not depress people, or make them feel worse about themselves, or hopeless, I want to give them hope that things are possible, and not a fantasical hope, but a realistic hope. This is a poster I am comfortable sending out into the world.