Industry Practice: Foundational Research: Self-Forgiveness

Foundational Research: Self-Forgiveness
In our project, Tempus Fugit, the main character sits before a Spirit-like entity that represents their feelings of introspection, self-forgiveness and memory. It is the discussion that occurs between the main character and this Spirit that spurs the narrative shown in the game. In-game, different scenes and events are recollections of previous memories that caused a negative emotional response in the character, these negative emotions tied towards underlying mental health conditions and represented in-game as the numerous "Spirits" that the player can interact with.
As these characters are representative of mental health conditions, and as our game bears mental health as a primary theme, we decided to research the topics appropriate to the characters we are designing. My character is different from these, not representing a specific mental health condition but instead representing the character's feelings of self-forgiveness and introspection.

Introspection is a process in which memories are examined, where the human mind attempts to further understand and explore different thoughts, emotions and ideas associated with memories (Cherry 2023). This is, then, a process of reflection in which ideas are processed and understood in a more analytical manner than how they may have initially been examined. It is a process of self-understanding that is reliant on memory and the perception of memory made when the events that are being recalled have passed. This divorces the perception of the memory from the physical sensations that were present at the time (Davis n.d), creating a recollection that exists in a vacuum of sorts. 

Introspection can be used to understand behaviour: to track back emotional responses to their roots, to the initial worry or fear that is causing them (The School of Life 2016). This allows for a greater understanding of how emotions impact our lives, and how altering these responses could allow for our quality of life to improve, connecting different emotional responses together to form a wider understanding (Davis n.d). This understanding can also be applied to the emotional responses of others, not in a manner of assumption or diagnosis, but in understanding why others may be feeling the way they are and in looking beyond outer emotional responses; introspection, in this regard, can help with the extension of empathy (Davis n.d).

My character also represents self-forgiveness, being a vessel through which the main character can remember past actions and move beyond them. In the project, I want to imply that this concept is something that the player character has been struggling with: though the other Spirits that represent mental health issues bear solid appearances attached to them, Self-forgiveness is seen as being faceless and weak, without the solid form of a concept well considered. I find this an important feature of the design due to the difficult and worrisome nature that forgiveness can bring about in people, particularly those conscious of how such forgiveness may erroneously seem. (Lepenioti 2023). As such, the character of my Spirit is one that may be considerably more blank or neutral than the other Spirits, and in my designs I will attempt to show how the Spirit may be "faceless", a blank reflection for the main character to alter.
I also want this design to physically show how the relationship between the main character and the forgiveness/introspection they are committing to: the Spirit may seem to be physically weak or frail, requiring help to live. This could show how the main character must physically move their own self-forgiveness forward, and how they are the only one who can look back on their life and move beyond prior mistakes.

In the thumbnails above, I tried to explore how the theming of self-forgiveness and introspection may influence the design of my character. I experimented with different faces, some obscured by hair, others blank or wrapped in bandages, and gave many a frail, thin body type. The wheelchair and IV drip represent the frailty and weakness of the main character's relation to this aspect of self-care, and some designs are similarly dressed in medical garb.
I will further explore how these design considerations may be influenced by my character's theming in the 25 thumbnail sketches that I will provide my group. I feel like I want these designs to be somewhat metaphorical, what with the nature of the character representing an ineffable mental state, yet be decipherable and understandable nonetheless. I will also attempt to draw my character in different art styles, allowing them to fit in better with the creepy/cute aesthetic that our game is styled around. That being said, I have also discussed with my group about how this character may be the most frightening of all the Spirits, as they represent an emotional response that the main character is unfamiliar with. On the whole, these designs require further development and feedback. This feedback will assist me in creating a stronger character design that will fit in well stylistically and thematically to the game were are going to produce.

Bibliography:
Cherry, K., 2024. Introspection and How It Is Used In Psychology Research [online]. Verywellmind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/ [Accessed 06 November 2024]

Davis, T., n.d. Introspection: Definition (in Psychology), Examples, and Questions [online]. Berkely Well-Being Institute. Available at: https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/introspection.html [Accessed 06 November 2024]

Lepenioti, G., 2023. Self-forgiveness: Why is it so hard? [online]. The Psychotherapy World. Available at: https://www.psychotherapyworld.com/post/self-forgiveness-why-is-it-so-hard [Accessed 06 November 2024]

Why Introspection Matters, 2016. [Youtube] The School of Life, 7 November. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-NiJzwdN0Y [Accessed 06 November 2024[