The How Well? Project
New Graphic Anthology and Website Launched
‘Wellness’ is a relatively new concept in contemporary thought. A 2010 New York Times article attributes the term to a 1979 segment of the television program 60 Minutes , where it was derived in opposition to ‘illness.’ Therefore, one might assume that the pursuit of wellness is simply that of staving off sickness. Yet, current trends show ‘wellness’ as a consumer-based, neoliberal, capitalistic, and divisive concept, nearly religious in the ethical role it has taken in our culture. This new ‘wellness’ is highly exclusive; the billion-dollar wellness industry is geared toward those who have the financial resources to participate in this rarified form of individualized self-improvement. How has the pursuit of “being well” morphed into a drive for physical and moral perfection (read physique perfection)? The Be Well project aims to understand the conflation of wealth, privilege, and health in the narratives of contemporary Western culture.
Visit The How Well? Projects Website with links to ordering or downloading the How Well? Anthology