Tom MacDougal
https://www.behance.net/thomasmacdougal
Thomas MacDougal
TrueConnections
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/trueconnections_/
/trueconnections_/
There is nothing more valuable than love, not just the intimate kind, but friendships, family, those who have made an impact on you, etc. The world is filled with darkness, but light always finds a way to shine through. So that’s exactly what I wanted to do with my senior capstone project. I wanted to find a way to take deep topic matters and shine some light on it. To turn these subjects into something positive to bring people together, show appreciation, and spread love.
Artist Thesis / Statement
I never had the luxury of growing up with my father and now I’m 30 years away from seeing him step out of prison which is eight hours away. The only way we can connect is through greeting cards. Greeting cards for the average person may feel like a thoughtless gift, an afterthought or a last minute pickup from your local CVS. For me, that was never the case. “Thank you for being there” and “Thank you for teaching me” written across every single card brought tears to my eyes as a child. All I could think about was how my situation differed from all the friends I grew up with. All because of limited minutes on the phone and limited emails. Yet, I can’t pick out a thoughtless gift for the life of me because none of these cards understand the pain and anxiety that I feel.
This frustration led me to think about other things that aren’t covered in greeting cards. My mother has been drug free for 11 years, and I’d love to give her an anniversary card for staying addiction free, but there aren’t any cards that cover that topic either. How about more obscure topics like mentors, who have had a huge impact on my life with a lack of a father figure. What about adoption cards that cover the perspectives of not only the adoptee but the parents who adopted. I thought about cards for people who are struggling, and so much more. That inspired me to create a brand that addresses this problem.
TrueConnections is a paper store company that specifically shines light on unconventional subjects and relationships. There are plenty of people out there who deal with the same frustrations that I do every day. Greeting cards and gifts should feel personal and specific for each situation because not every person is privileged. My goal is to further connect people by covering these topics in a positive light. The subjects include inmates, sobriety/addiction, adoption, meeting new family members, motivational/mental health, mentors, step family and COVID-19. TrueConnections uses real world situations to empower people to reach out in meaningful ways.