The Type4Me Project was a pro-bono art initiative I founded in 2015 to raise awareness of the black-and-white thinking that can be experienced by trauma survivors and individuals living with mental illness.
Hosted on Instagram through @Type4Me, the project became a space where participants could share meaningful parts of their personal journeys through collaborative artwork and storytelling.
Rather than creating artwork for people, I chose to create it with them. Each piece began with a conversation about their experiences, resilience, and personal journey. Participants selected a word or short phrase that held deep meaning to them, whether it represented hope, healing, identity, perseverance, or another significant part of their story.
Using those words as the foundation, I created custom digital illustrations in a strictly black-and-white color palette. Each design incorporated intricate hand-drawn patterns inspired by the Zentangle® method, reflecting the project’s exploration of contrast, complexity, and the way seemingly opposing emotions and experiences can coexist.
The project sought to encourage conversations surrounding mental health while giving participants an opportunity to see their stories represented through thoughtfully crafted visual art. Every illustration was unique because every person’s journey was unique.
The Type4Me Project demonstrated how design can be used not only as a means of visual communication but also as a tool for empathy, collaboration, and advocacy. It remains one of the most personally meaningful projects I have undertaken, combining illustration, typography, and storytelling to create work that sought to help others feel seen, understood, and valued.
The Type4Me Project Media Coverage
If you’d like to read more about the project, the following are media coverage opportunities that were given to increase awareness of the project.
“The Type to Think in Black and White” A Tribe of Women: A Blog for Women by Women Article
Support the Type4Me Project
Please help support the project and its mission of raising awareness around black-and-white thinking by following @type4me, engaging with the current artwork or requesting your own entry for the project, and sharing its message with others.