This is the translated version of my Lithuanian BA thesis project, created in 2013 at Vilnius Academy of Arts. I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible. The description of the story and my creative process is below.
The author was creating an extraordinary story, but, alas, he forgot something very important. The main character was missing! He started looking for it; however, none of the creatures he met were suitable and even worse, they were haunting and annoying him. The author eventually lost his patience. Rejected characters became part of his story, which turned out to be about himself.
My main goal for this project was to know myself better through the creative process. I also wanted to invite the reader to continue the author's journey using his imagination, which plays a big role in my book. There are lots of questions and no obvious answers. The main character is mysterious and could have many meanings. It could be the author, who is looking for the right character for his story, or the reader's imagination, which can create a unique main character on its own. The search for the main character could also be compared to the search for inspiration.
I enjoyed the creative process and tried not to think about the end result. Using the brush and ink technique, I could spontaneously express my feelings in the form of weird creatures. The images are closely related to the text. They are inseparable, just like thoughts and feelings, which make up one whole. The text was frequently edited trying to find balance between words and images. Author's words express his thoughts, which are analysing and criticizing his own feelings. He's suffering from perfectionism, but does not give up until he realizes that he is the main character. Action is emphasized by using large format for the book and handwritten verbs, which relate to the characters.
Some photos of the printed book (original is 34x28cm large):
