It's taken me a long time to get back into reading, but here I am!
Since March I have read [nearly] every week but one book, in particular, has been a huge help in creating new illustrations.
As I've pretty much told everyone twice now, I've finished my diploma course in Graphic Design.
Sure, InDesign and Photoshop were nothing new - but I didn't really touch the rest unless the need was dire.
Now I've fallen in love with Illustrator. Turns out it's easy to illustrate with.
Who could have predicted that...
Anyway,
'The Ten Types of Humans' by Dexter Dias has helped inspire me to create new illustrations and try out new techniques
It
Was
Intense
Dias details the stories of people whom he has met on his travels. It's a non-fiction anthology of human experience with a purpose: to make us think about who we are.
From my understanding of the book, he finds a characteristic within each person he meets that defines their entry into the novel and exemplifies an evolutionary trait he thinks is present within us all.
So, the 'ten types of humans' are not separate, and you cannot pack yourself neatly into type 2 [The Beholder] and call it a day.
Each example is present within us all and each chapter focuses on a section of the human psyche.
Still with me?
I'm probably not explaining this book as well as it deserves.
Dias' own theory probably sheds more light:
"
Theory #1A:
The human mind is an array of highly specialised mental modules that perform different functions, and which evolved through natural selection to solve life challenges that confronted our ancestors over long stretches of evolutionary time.
"Each 'type' is a carefully considered scientific voyage into the mind. Dias first forces us to explore 'mental modules' and then applies the 'personal narrative': 'human stories from a number of exceptional people.'
It is the 'exceptional people' who keep the book a page-turner.
Every new story is as captivating as the last and the stories aren't the usual drabble of Eurocentric events, but a collection of true recollections from around the whole world.
I'm pretty well travelled, but when you read this you realise that short holidays to other countries do not give you an accurate glimpse into another culture; that speaking to people and listening to their history is a greater way to see more of the world.
Dias takes us to India, Sarajevo, Ghana, the Central African Republic ... amongst a few other places.
I won't ruin the book, so I shouldn't say more.
Every time I try and summarise just a part of it, it feels like I'm doing the author a disservice.
Needless to say, it's an amazing read and the things you learn throughout are both so harrowing and inspiring it is hard to put down.
In this book, Dexter Dias really thoroughly investigates the questions:
"Who are we?"
"What are we?"
"Who is inside us?"
The above is an illustration of 'The Perceiver of Pain'. Human Type 1.
Inspired by the story of Anthony and Michael who lived, for a while, as slaves for Lake Volta in Ghana.
The top illustration is of 'The Romancer'. Human Type 8.
Inspired by the story of Francois and Marielle who were from the Central African Republic.
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