The Wild Unknown — Illustration

This illustration began as personal passion project in late 2019; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020, I evolved and adapted the illustration into a badge of inspiration; something that would make viewers feel powerful and uplifted, designed for the web and social media. Faced with the adverse mental effects of the global pandemic being felt by communities around me, I was inspired to create this powerful image in hopes that it would evoke in its viewers a feeling or spirit of adventure and courage in the face of the unknown. The outer space motifs evoke exploring a final frontier—in this case, the frontier of living with COVID-19—and the bear has historically been used in the folk art of several cultures since the ancients as a symbol of strength. This illustration is a vessel both of personal expression and peer-to-peer encouragement, inspiring courage and solidarity in the face of continual uncertainty and unrest on all scales, personal to global.