Depression and anxiety feel heavy, yet Gemma Correll’s simple cartoons let in a bit of light. For example, in one of her more recent drawings, she shows a woman who hears an angel telling her to take the day off while a small devil says she should spend it feeling guilty. Another shows a whale lying flat under the word OVERWHALEMED, and yet another shows a person stretched on the floor beside a big red NOPE. There is also a scruffy possum on a sticky note that says it is not a morning possum, and a rider who sits tall on a long‑legged horse to say she is back on her high horse.
The drawings use strong red, calm gray, black ink and plenty of open space. Each picture turns a messy feeling into a clear image we can laugh at, and that laugh reminds us we are not alone with our thoughts. By sharing her own struggle in this way, Correll shows that humor and making art can help us talk about mental health and maybe feel a little better.
