I have started to look into subject research to have more of an understanding before I start looking more into visuals. I think it is important to understand the topic so I can be clear in the message I am trying to portray. I will start by looking into articles and text that support my ideas. From these articles I can find information that I can come back and look into more detail in the future.

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/campus/a22575047/post-university-depression/

This is an article I first came across when looking into the subject of the struggles of being in your 20’s. I have experienced relatives and friends leaving university and finding it challenging so it is interesting that this is a common thing among graduates. In the article, Mollie Davies talks about her experience. She says, “it very quickly went from being celebrated and recognised [for my achievements], to being thrown into a large pot of pressures. I traded the student union, lectures, and a big circle of friends in for something far more daunting: adulthood and the unknown.”

Leaving university is hard, as you have been in education for so many years where things are structured. It can then be difficult to self motivate yourself to get a job or start a career. Mollie also says that she was ‘lonelier than ever’. As another shock can be living with your mates to having to move back in with parents.

Why Navigating Your 20s Is Hard

This article talks more about a similar topic. It says about how to over come this ‘in between’ stage of life. What I think is important is when it says how this is a struggle that is experienced by many people. ‘If you are struggling with your sense of life’s purpose, know that you are not the only one.’ It must be horrible to feel like you are the only one not succeeding straight away. This a point I want to make clear in my work, that you do not have to come out of university and straight into a career to be considered successful.

This article is not just aimed at graduates but people in their 20’s in general. It says how you might be cut off financially, so this is the first time you have to support yourself financially. Living situations can also be difficult. Some people move to a different city to pursue a career and it can be scary to be on your own. But on the other hand living with parents where there are still rules can be frustrating.

‘And because there’s no manual or guide to how to get through your twenties, a lot of us are honestly just faking it until we make it.‘

‘Your twenties are hard. We forget to say this sometimes. We forget to reassure each other that it’s okay to be struggling. We aren’t reassured that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, and that it’s completely normal to feel lost, especially when you are trying to figure out so many things.’

These quotes are so important to my project. The overall message being that its okay not to be okay.

In my last project I photographed the behind the scenes of a photographer. This was to show the working process of a photographer. The project was interesting but unfortunately did not go as planned. For this project I want to carry on taking documentary portraits as this is one of my main interests.

When deciding what kind of portraits to take, I thought about what was personal to me and what I was feeling. Having a more personal project could lead to more interesting photographs. Something currently on my mind is the worry of what to do after University. From spending years in education it is scary to go into the ‘real world’. From friends that have left University, I know this is a mutual feeling. This then lead me to think about all the other people I know in their 20’s and how many are doing lots of different things. Some are still living at home with no jobs, while others are married with kids and a house. I find it interesting that everyone is at different stages of their life.

This is the idea I am going to pursue in this project. I am going to document people in this age group and hopefully be able to show that there is no set answer to what we should be doing. As I work through this project I hope I will begin to be excited for my future instead of worrying about the unknown.

My initial thoughts for the final outcome would be many medium sized prints. This means you can easily see the difference between the images and people in them. They will be made to be exhibited in London. If I take enough successful photographs I would like to create a high quality book to go alongside the prints.

This is a presentation of my initial ideas:

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