defense mechanisms, editorial book design, parsons 2016.

More girls than ever feel the need to be perfect, and the health and happiness of young women is a growing global concern. Body image is an immense worry, and many young women feel undervalued until they meet society’s unrealistic expectations of beauty. Self-doubt and insecurities form from hypercritical pressure and the tyranny of “should,” and this can significantly impair those suffering from it. Perfectionism is a defense mechanism put in place by the inner psyche to avoid the pain of being judged by others. My accordion book design, a collage made of found photography, reveals the dark, neurotic shadow of the perfectionist realities women of all ages face.