abstract

I grew up a Black girl with a chubby body in a very suburban small town. Growing up, there were many times where I understood myself as ‘other. Sitting on the Gen Z and Millenial cusp, I grew up with the internet and all the information available beyond the screen. I lacked community and conversation about social issues and constructs in real life and used the internet to navigate the intersections of my identity. Over the years, I began to understand how colonialism had affected my understanding of myself as a person. For me, unlearning meant deconstructing internalized colonial values (an ongoing journey), appreciating myself as a living being, and overall, starting the journey to love myself for all that I am.

Within the modern world, loving yourself is a radical act. To go against how white supremacy has defined us and embrace ourselves truly is to decentralize coloniality within ourselves. Instead of using my thesis to analyze how oppressed people have been shaped by marginalization, I want to focus on our healing and the role love plays in that journey. In an environment where you are made to feel less than, love creates space for us to be ourselves. Through my thesis work, I want to explore how we can create spaces of love and healing that are accessible and sustainable as we embark on the mission of designing for a healthier world.

Research question:

How can we embrace self-love and healing through our work as creatives?