Welcome to the brighter side of Parkinson’s
Parky Life is a project by Havas, a leading healthcare communications creative agency, aimed at fighting Parkinson’s disease with positivity. Matt Eagles, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 7, is the head of engagement for Parkinson’s at Havas and headed up the project.
The project launched ‘Parky Cards’, a deck of 50 unique cards designed for people with Parkinson’s. These cards were co-created with the Parkinson’s community and brought to life by 50 illustrators. Each card offers a nugget of Parky positivity, whether a life hack, a funny story, an inspiring quote, or a sunnier way of seeing one’s symptoms. They are little doses of positivity that one can dip in and out of whenever needed.
The project aimed at raising awareness and funding for the charity. I was commissioned to be part of the Parky Life cards and illustrated Jon Stamford, who is a scientist, artist, and writer and has Parkinson’s. My main brief was to create an illustration that highlights the symptoms of Parkinson’s but flips the outlook to be positive. I created 16 illustrations that flip the thinking into a positive and offer some advice. The illustration was printed on tee’s and totes to raise awareness and funds for the charity.
On the night of the launch, I recreated the illustrations on a large canvas, which was then auctioned to one of the patients in attendance at the event.
