SoXiety: An almost wordless picture book/graphic novel on the impact tech-fuelled dopamine addiction has on mental health, wellbeing & community
Technology is amazing. It has changed the way we communicate, travel, educate, handle our money, build things, come up with ideas, problem solve, work, find a partner, spend our leisure time and more.
But that’s not all it’s done.
Individuals, families and communities around the world are grappling with the issue of tech related dopamine addiction.
In SoXiety, artist and illustrator Tamlyn Teow explores the impact of tech addiction on our mental health, wellbeing and community through visual metaphor.
It’s the first almost-wordless picture book in what will ultimately become The Book of Kin, a groundbreaking, experimental collection exploring issues relating to the human condition. Teow’s artwork is incredibly evocative, offering an intriguing visual journey combined with timely, relevant—and at-times-confronting—real-life topics.
Her approach allows readers to enjoy and explore her fascinating artwork at face value, or dig deeper and really mine the potentially life-changing realisations that may result. SoXiety is a book that will start conversations—the type of conversations that our homes and communities need more of, about the kind of society we want to live in.
I’ve been working with Tamlyn for the past few years, after initially contracting her to illustrate the picture book, The Other Side of the Clouds, by Matt Samuel. Within a very short time I recognised her exceptional talent, and her incredible ability to create thought-provoking illustrations and devise deep and multi-layered stories.
Quite honestly, it seemed wrong—really wrong—that so few people knew her work. Tamlyn has something important to say and a profound, and beautifully intriguing, way of saying it. I made a commitment to myself that I would do everything in my power to give Tamlyn the opportunity to reach a worldwide audience.
We are a small Australian publishing company. We don’t have the money to fund big print runs or huge marketing campaigns. That’s where Kickstarter comes in. My hope is that through this Kickstarter, people from all around the world will support SoXiety and help bring this amazing work to life.
Rowena Beresford
Managing Editor
Riveted Press