Task 2 – Issue: Beyond superficial smiles captured for appearance sake, genuine moments of mirth and frivolity have immense power to bring people together and closer through creating shared vulnerability. Laughter exposes our inherent human fallibility while celebrating our capacity for resilience. Yet traditional portraiture tends to prioritize serious expressions and context over capturing playfulness, lightheartedness and fun – integral elements of a balanced, wholesome life. I aim to explore how whimsical portrayals could help normalize the display of humor and silliness.

Task 3 – Inspiration: Illustrators like Norman Rockwell possessed a gift for capturing the everyday absurdities and amusing ironies we can all relate to in his depictions of typical community scenarios. Photographer Annie Leibovitz demonstrated a knack for capturing candid moments of genuine spontaneity between celebrities and public figures. Their lighthearted images bring smiles by celebrating humanity’s shared ability to find moments of levity and joy, even amidst life’s difficulties and duties. Their styles inspire me to seek out funny foibles and silly antics that highlight humor’s power to unite rather than divide.

Task 4 – Mood Board: The collage includes clippings depicting amusing images like a smiling businessperson with cereal or whipped cream in their hair mid-conference call; overzealous multitaskers wielding toys into household tasks; carefree dancers giving their all oblivious to any lack of rhythm. Accompanying quotes emphasize the important social functions laughter serves in building comfort between individuals as well as whole communities. Collectively, the mood board aims to visually convey the focus on showcasing whimsy’s relatability and stress-relieving nature and humor’s capacity to unite all.