PROJECT: INNER CHIMP ART PRINTS
CLIENT: HENLEAZE JUNIOR SCHOOL

I had previously worked with Henleaze Junior School to create a series of Yeti-themed posters based on Growth Mindsets. This is a new set of posters/art prints essentially following on from that, but based around work the school are doing with pupils relating to emotions. This was planned work for 2020, and something the school had already started teaching, but with the advent of COVID-19, combined with the UK lockdown and home-schooling, the prioritising of emotional wellbeing has even more importance!

The idea of the ‘Inner Chimp’ is based on established principles about managing thoughts and emotions, an example of which is The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme by Prof. Steve Peters.

OBJECTIVE

To produce a set of 4 illustrated posters featuring an ‘Inner Chimp’ character, to help explain and visualise ideas around recognising/understanding how we feel, that everyone’s emotions can be different at different times., and that emotions can impact on behaviour and vice versa. There were 4 main ideas to be conveyed, 1 for each poster, and additional to that various subtleties also to be included. The colours used are based on an aspect of the teaching which matches emotions to colour - the ‘Mood Meter’.

With the current COVID situation, this work will be delivered digitally initially, and as part of videos, but eventually the images are to be produced as high quality art prints at A2 size, and displayed around the school.

*ADDITIONAL NOTE*

By popular request, these images are now available to buy and download as digital artwork for use in your own school or learning environment - please visit my print shop

I think it’s interesting to show a bit of process, so pictured below are my initial sketches for the project. Following discussions with the client after I showed the sketches, there were some small additions & amendments which served to add some detail/clarity and to ensure the messages being conveyed were on point.

Although the Inner Chimp character is central to the designs, he doesn’t always look (or feel) the same, which is conveyed by the use of colour (as well as posture, and what he’s doing). As mentioned above, the ‘Mood Meter’ uses colour to depict specific emotions - For example, Yellow could be excited, Green - calm & relaxed, Blue - sad, Red - nervous, anxious or angry. Or you could be a mix of colours, if you’re not quite sure how you’re feeling!

I created this little animation as a simple guide for the school to share with their pupils - to help them draw their own inner chimp, and then colour according to how they’re feeling…

Music: Bensound.com

CLIENT FEEDBACK

“Incredible. When I first thought of the posters, I couldn’t have imagined they’d turn out THIS great - you’ve brought the whole concept to glorious (and illustratively clear!) life. Thank you!”

- Jonathan Parr | Deputy Head, Henleaze Junior School

(Full feedback to follow, once the work has been more widely shared with the children!)

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