Okay, let’s dive into my little project of making a mental health shirt design!
So, I’ve been wanting to create something that promotes mental well-being, and I figured a t-shirt would be a cool way to spread the message. I started, of course, by thinking about what message. You know? What do I really want to say?
Brainstorming & Rough Ideas
I grabbed my trusty notebook and a pen and just started jotting down words and phrases. Stuff like:
- “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”
- “Mental Health Matters”
- “Be Kind to Your Mind”
- “You are enough”
I played around with these, writing them in different styles, doodling little symbols, just really letting my mind wander. It felt a little messy, but that’s okay! It’s part of the process,I think.
Sketches and More Sketches
Next, I started sketching. I’m not the best artist, I have to tell you, but even stick figures can get the idea across, right? I tried different layouts, like putting the words in a circle, or having a simple brain image with some flowers growing out of it. Some of them were pretty bad, haha, but a few started to look… promising, maybe?
Choosing a Design (and Getting Stuck)
I picked one design that I really liked. It was the “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” phrase, but I arranged the words in a slightly wavy pattern to kind of represent the ups and downs of mental health. I felt pretty good about it!
Then came the hard part: how to actually get this onto a shirt? I started thinking about colors, fonts, and all that stuff. I spent a good amount of time just staring at my screen, playing with different font combinations. Honestly, I got a little overwhelmed!
The Simplification Stage
After a bit of a break (and some snacks, of course), I came back to it with a fresh perspective. I realized I was overcomplicating things. I decided to stick with a simple, clean font and just two colors – a dark gray for the text and a soft green for a little leaf I added next to the words. Much better!
Making It Digital!
I’m not super tech-savvy, But I managed to create my design using a free online design tool. It took some trial and error, I will say, moving things around, resizing, and trying to get everything lined up just right. But finally, I had a digital version of my design that I was happy with!
The Final Result
It is not perfect. I know that. But It’s mine, and it represents something I care deeply about. It’s a simple design, a simple message, and maybe that’s all it needs to be. I’m planning to print it on a shirt soon. Maybe I will share it here!
I’m pretty stoked about how it turned out. And hey, if it helps even one person feel a little less alone, then I think it was worth it.
