SOON.SURREY
In November 2021, I was commissioned by Soon.Surrey, a young person’s mental health Tadvocacy group set up to aid young people in looking after their mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic, to produce four distinct creative pieces for their Instagram and further social media feeds.
Soon.Surrey requested that at least one of the pieces featured an example of my poetry, but the other pieces were left to me to create. Below is detailed the work produced for Soon.Surrey. It was requested that the majority of the work presented focus on the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of following lockdown guidance, and promotes ways to keep mentally well during the pandemic.
This project was a paid commission. All content was posted to @Soon.Surrey on Instagram in December 2021.
POST 1: INTRODUCTION (Instagram Image)
Posted to @Soon.Surrey on Instagram on 15/12/2021
For the first post, I was asked to submit a selfie-style photograph with an introductory paragraph about myself.
Brief: Submit a selfie-style photograph of myself and a short paragraph introducing myself and my work. This paragraph should be friendly and explain at little bit about myself, my background, and my creative experience.
My Introductory Paragraph:
Hey everyone, I'm Elliot @perlic_script , I'm an English and Drama student at @royalholloway and I'm teaming up with @Soon.Surrey to bring you some things that have really helped me during these Covid times. I hope these things can help some of you as much as they've helped me!
The Graphics: I submitted a photograph which the Soon.Surrey in-house publicity team combined with some of their branding to produce the beside piece.
POST 2: POEM (Instagram Slideshow)
Posted to @Soon.Surrey on Instagram on 16/12/2021
The second post I created was the aforementioned poem requested by Soon.Surrey’s team.
Brief: Write and design a poem for an Instagram post that promotes positive mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic and accompanying lockdowns. Graphics should all be made by myself and the post should be accompanied by a short paragraph caption.
The Poem: I wrote the poem ‘Day on Day’. The Soon.Surrey team did suggest that I could use a piece of already existing work, but I decided to instead write a new piece that would be unique and tailored to the exact moment in time.
‘Day on Day’ reflects the mundanity of lockdown life, and how every day can feel the same. The poem opens with lamentations on how easy it would be to just do nothing while under lockdown, and ends with an encouragement to all who experience such feelings to seek support and expresses that there is no weakness in asking for mental health support.
Graphics: I designed the graphics myself making use of a Canva template and attempting to keep in line with the aesthetic already present on the @perlic_script Instagram, also choosing colours and a template that would stand out among posts by other creatives Soon.Surrey had worked with before my involvement with the group.
Post Caption: Hi Surrey, Elliot here! At times like these, it's important to remember that we aren't alone, and whether it's friends, family, or someone else, there's always someone we can talk to.
POST 3: TAI CHI VIDEO (Instagram Reel)
Posted to @Soon.Surey on Instagram on 17/12/2021
To the right is a link to the Instagram post itself…
My third post was a video demonstration of Tai Chi (specifically Qigong) which I started doing during the lockdowns virtually with one of my university lecturers.
Brief: To create a post that promotes positive mental health and showcases activities that many people would be able to engage with during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Part of the brief for all of my posts was that I would include multiple forms of media. Because the first two posts I had produced was still-image graphics, I decided this should take the form of an Instagram Reel.
The Video: A short Instagram video filmed by a University housemate of me doing Tai Chi.
The video is accompanied by an instructional voiceover that explains the actions carried out so that should anyone watching wish to try Qigong they can do so safely and with the correct instruction. The voiceover is also designed to be calming to suit the tone of the video and the activity taking place.
Post Caption: Hi Surrey, Elliot again! Last year I really got into online Tai Chi lessons; it's incredibly calming way to have some time to yourself! Anyone can do it, I was a complete beginner last year, and you don't need much space at all. I'd really recommend it as a great way to keep healthy without putting in too much work.
POST 4: THE WALK (Instagram Reel)
Uploaded to @Soon.Surrey on Instagram on 18/12/2021
To the left is a link to the Instagram post itself…
A video detailing a short walk I enjoyed taking while I was at university. It runs from Runnymede Pleasure Grounds to Staines-upon-Thames along the River Thames. The walk takes approximately an hour to complete and passes through a public park, beside riverfront properties, hotels, and boating clubs; under the M25 motorway, and ends in Staines town centre.
Brief: To create one final piece promoting either sensibility during the Covid-19 pandemic or demonstrating ways young people can take care of their mental health during lockdowns.
The post was once again accompanied by a caption written by myself.
Notes on the Creative Process: For the final post, I initially had the idea to interview family members regarding the importance of regular lateral flow testing and following Covid-19 guidance. However, this idea did not go ahead because of constantly changing guidance.
In place of this idea, I decided to create a piece that would once again focus on mental health, demonstrating ways a person could get out of the house, get some exercise, and experience nature during lockdown.
I produced two versions of the same video: the first had a voiceover of the ‘Day on Day’ poem being read by myself, and the second a musical score of Otouto Mitai Na Sonzai from the popular anime Your Lie In April. Both ideas seemed very appropriate so I left it to the Soon.Surrey team to decide which they would prefer.
The poem ‘Day on Day’ voiceover allowed the walk to perfectly convey the message of the poem correlates perfectly with the purpose of the walk - to escape the mundanity of lockdown life and find ways to keep busy and excercise which studies have shown has a positive effect on mental health.
Music from Your Lie In April matched the theme of the video and overall commission extremely well because the anime focusses heavily on friendship, mental health, overcoming trauma, and finding the joy in every part of life.
The Video: I created a time-lapsed Instagram Reel of the walk from Runnymede to Staines-upon-Thames. The Soon.Surrey team decided to post the version of the video featuring the voiceover to allow for more variety in the posts as Post 2 had featured the poem and Post 3 a voiceover.
Post Caption: Hey Surrey, Elliot one more time! Sometimes being outdoors can make you feel better. This walk is great, especially for Royal Holloway students! It starts at the Runnymede Pleasure Grounds and gets you all the way to Staines. I'd definitely recommend it as a great way to relax, exercise, and get out the house!