Makeup artist Paddy McGurgan launches mental health image
Local entrepreneur says 'selfie generation' struggling
Last updated 13th Oct 2018
International make up artist Paddy McGurgan has created a mental health awareness image, to highlight the need for more funding for help and support services in Northern Ireland.
The image was inspired by a social media post and Paddy's experiences with his clients.
He described his creation:
"It's one girl's face but it's two...silhouettes.
"One side is your typical, what you would expect to see a lot from a glamorous picture online which is your smokey eye and what is highly requested
"The other is a dark black silhouette of a face and the message...is you're worth more than your darkness."
Paddy has enjoyed a long career in the beauty industry and says he increasingly sees clients struggling with insecurities and mental health issues:
"We work within an industry focused on making people look and feel better about themselves.
"Creating a makeup look is quite a personal experience.
"However, more and more clients are wanting to morph into their iconic screenshot instead of wanting the makeup applied to celebrate their unique and individual beauty."
He added: "Whilst many in the beauty industry prey on the insecurities of their social media followers for their own opportunism, I feel a sense of responsibility to use make-up not only creatively, but positively, and not adhere to a culture of acceptance on the quest to create a real-life filter."
The founder of Make Up Pro Store in Belfast says he felt compelled to highlight the issue after a social media post:
"The inspiration behind it came from a facebook status that I read and it was very open and frank detail of somebody's experience with their own personal, mental health.
"As I read the status update I seen like a vision in my head of what that...signified and that's...what I wanted to portray through the image."
Paddy is calling for more funding for those with mental health issues and told Downtown Cool FM social media can put added pressure on young people striving to achieve perfection:
"As we scroll through pictures on social media we are often blind to how many of us battle with our own darkness.
"People forget that they are comparing their inner self with those that project their outer self on social media, generally an aggregated and inauthentic portrayal of reality.
"My rationale behind our Mental Health awareness image was to depict the two sides of the 'selfie generation,' the one we portray in public and the side we keep hidden behind our social media veils."
Paddy has teamed up with local charity Action Mental Health to host a demo night on October 25.
He is calling for more funding to improve mental health provision in Northern Ireland.