You feel sad. You're alone. You're bored. You don't care.
At least once (probably more than once), every person has experienced these emotional states. Sometimes all of them at once.
The pace and intensity of modern life give us many privileges, but it can also trigger some psycho-emotional issues that our ancestors would never think about. Emotional burnout is a pretty common one. According to Forbes, this problem is so widespread that more than half of Americans faced it last year alone. The figures are quite indicative, and they are a kind of median for residents of other Western countries. Representatives of the creative industry are the most likely to be exposed to emotional burnout.
That is, every second person in the Western world is likely to have experienced a difficult period of emotional burnout in their life. However, research does not say what percentage of these people were able to overcome this problem independently and how many of them need help right now. It doesn't say how many of them are your colleagues, friends and relatives. Maybe you are among them too.
In the turbulent 2022, the LINOLEUM Contemporary Animation and Media Art Festival, together with Skwigly Animation Magazine from Britain have selected the most accurate artistic expressions on emotional burnout and creative crisis. “I’M FINE!” project is supported by the British Council under the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture. Thirteen talented animation works highlight this situation for those lucky enough to observe this problem from the outside. They also give support and empathise with those who have encountered it tête-à-tête.
The project's discourse could be expanded with the help of British colleagues, who aided in creating a series of interviews with the directors of the programme, where they shared their experiences of emotional crisis and its impact on their professional activities.
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Germany | 06:02 | 2020
After an exhausting rainy day, a young woman is struggling with her growingly overwhelming feelings. Initially, she has difficulties allowing her tears and fights actively against them.
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United Kingdom | 04:27 | 2007
An investigative and exploratory hands-on gloves-off study into the practice of putting things 'off'. Sometimes the only way to get something done is to do two dozen other things first.
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Canada | 05:23 | 2019
In the voiceover for this animated short, a young woman attempts to describe herself, casting her life in the ideal light that society expects. The film’s imagery, however, tells a different story, poignantly illustrating the intense anxiety that comes with the quest for perfection and the pursuit of happiness.
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Germany | 08:20 | 2020
In this love letter to artists, their art and its audience, one filmmaker is confronted with rejection after rejection untill at last a beautiful fig tree bears sweet fruits. “Conversations with a Whale” was created directly under the camera lens, using various analogue animation techinques.
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United Kingdom | 02:22 | 2017
This film centers around impulses we all can feel but never act upon.
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Taiwan | 03:36 | 2020
Therapy part, self-questioning:
Q1: Why did you draw?
Q2: How did you begin to draw?
Q3: Why did you stop drawing?
Q4: How did you go back to draw?
Q5: Will you draw on?
The film is about creativity through drawing topic. Since everybody is a naturally individual creator, thought we might struggle in the reality that make us stop creating or even forgetting who we are. Let’s keep it in mind that we’re a creator rather than a random person in the crowd.
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France | 09:00 | 2020
Following a break-up, Wen sinks into melancholy. She can't talk to anyone and therefore talks to herself a lot. By understanding that it is not the love she has lost but her confidence, she will be able to reconcile with herself and feel ready to love again.
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Poland | 01:11 | 2021
Animation drawn in black & white, in its understated form shows the story of a day full of unfortunate events.
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Taiwan | 04:07 | 2017
The basic performance of the experimental animation, “AM I ORIGHT”, is based on sounds. The sounds which were recorded, mixed and edited, were used as the basic performance of the animation creation. To indicate the author’s actual experience of getting lost, growing, and transforming in the process of the creation journey.
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Norway | 03:11 | 2020
pan·dic·u·la·tion / pan-ˌdik-yə-ˈlā-shən /n The act of stretching oneself (often accompanied by yawning)
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Portugal | 05:43 | 2018
A character fighting against the loss of identity whose journey is continuously influenced by the fear of the unknown and closeness to death.
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Germany | 05:25 | 2019
Before burn-out has burned out it is a flame. And Jane is on fire. She is a very disciplined and ambitious young woman. Her days consist of going to work and ticking off her never ending To-Do-Lists. She does not realize how the flame starts to consume her and how she loses sight of everything around her.
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France | 05:36 | 2022
Self-reflection somewhat painful but yet deeply caring concerning the following protocol: «Hi, how are you?», «I’m fine, and you?», «Yes I’m fine thank you.».