Amelia Flower's latest work explores anxiety in everyday life

London based illustrator Amelia Flower produces work that focusses on people, storytelling and relatable characters. ‘I enjoy illustrating daily life, and I like people to be able to see themselves in my work and the characters and scenes that I create.’ Amelia tells The Peep.

Amongst her commissions for clients such as Boots, BBC and The Daily Telegraph, Amelia’s personal work is influenced by her life and experiences. Her latest project explores her experience of anxiety, which has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. ‘I have always been shy, but anxiety started to affect me in my teenage years, when I didn’t really fit in at school. I’m almost 27 now, and over the last few years I have really embraced my shyness and anxiety as a positive thing, and I have gained friendships and confidence through taking about this, and realising that so many people feel exactly the same way that I do. Ironically, taking about my anxiety has given me more self-assurance and confidence than I’ve ever had before.’

Amelia used her Instagram, where she has over 57,000 followers, to connect with other people and start discussions around anxiety, ‘people seem to really engage with the project on there, and I have been overwhelmed by how many people have opened up about their own struggles with anxiety, and using my illustrations as a starting point for a discussion has unveiled how common these feelings are,’ she adds.

Her project focusses on what she calls ‘Daily Anxieties’, such as watching your phone ring instead of answering it, or standing in a queue for a coffee and rehearsing your order in your head. ‘This seems to have triggered a response in so many people who feel this way, but perhaps thought they were alone, or that these feelings were too insignificant to speak about. I have received so many wonderful and inspiring stories and messages from people who experience anxiety in their daily lives, and had thought that they were alone in their feelings. I am looking forward to continuing the project and hopefully connecting with more and more people through these very common and normal experiences. My ultimate goal with this is to explore anxiety in a positive way, and to show through my illustrations that these small daily anxieties are normal and should be celebrated.’

To see more of Amelia’s work, follow her on Instagram or visit her website.