Commercializing, politicizing, and promoting positive thinking as an ideology often yield contrary results. Asserting that the sheer power of positive thinking enables individuals to achieve any goal creates a false belief that personal success or failure rests solely on individual efforts, disregarding crucial economic, cultural, and social factors. In the face of a competitive environment where success is paramount, people struggle to navigate this landscape, viewing failure as a reflection of personal inadequacy and undergoing marginalization.
For the "Backyard Gatherings" project, I created a fictional setting where humans and creatures coexist, each endeavoring to tell their unique stories and assert their presence in the backdrop. Drawing inspiration from pop culture and the fitness lifestyle, I intend to shed light on individuals from marginalized groups and their endeavors to reconcile with societal expectations related to beauty, aging, and success.