Preface
Thank you to all of you for helping make Esther real; in my mind, she is sitting on my shoulder, speaking into my ear. I must also acknowledge my family, daughters, wife, and cat; they have helped me find my purpose. My kids are my super-power; they throw me gems in the form of random thoughts that I materialise into my art; I do strategy, and they get the ideas.
Esther is all about finding yourself and enjoying the art of play.
Esther’s Vision
Esther’s Escape represents the duality of positivity and anxiety. The harmony of loving life; being present whilst also addressing looming anxiousness.
- Positivity is the practice of being or tendency to be positive and optimistic in attitude.
- Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Acknowledging mental health sits at the foundation of Esther and her journey. She has found power in working towards her balance, drive, and purpose in paying attention to mental health.
Esther is an expression of me, a figment of my imagination, a materialisation of my anxiety. Esther’s Escape visualises the tension in my mind, and turning this world into a cute yet eerie space helps me get in touch with my feelings in a therapeutic way.
I am a work in progress, and Esther opens a gateway for me to share my mental health journey visually with a broader audience. As we progress and develop Esther in real time, I am learning more about myself and becoming comfortable in my own skin. I hope everyone can experience this through Esther.
As a project, Esther’s Escape is a character development exercise, a space for me to connect, share and collaborate. Esther and her world recognise mental health and aim to help break social stigmas, enabling open conversations.
Esther’s development checklist:
- Establish Esther’s motivations and goals ✅
- Choose a voice who will be telling the story ✅
- Work towards a slow reveal ✅
- Create conflict ✅
- Describe Esther’s personality, traits and life/battle stats — in progress
- Visually represent Esther in multiple ways — in progress (Esther’s Seven)
- Develop secondary characters in Esther’s Mob — in progress
- Give Esther’s Mob a backstory — in progress
- Define Esther’s world — in progress
Esther’s world and mechanics resemble a game; she is destined to have her own spot, starring in a game that bridges minimal aesthetic with intricate storytelling.
Beyond a game, Esther has the flexibility to transition to anything from comic books, to movies, to even children’s accessories. The sky is the limit. In collaboration, I’ll set the creative direction, craft her story and build an engaged audience so that Esther is prime to be licensed by collaborators and become a star.
If this resonates with you and you are down with Esther, connect with me and let’s riff on ideas and take Esther to the next level.
