This is a tale adapted from personal experience and infused with elements of the fantastical. The setting draws inspiration from Hogganfield Park in Glasgow. I chose this location because whenever I felt low, I would go to the Swan Lake to clear my mind, seeking answers in its tranquil waters. Whilst tossing bread into Swan Lake, the swans’ scramble and their mutual nibbling gradually laid the foundation for defining the swan’s role. Thus I began to imagine that each time I walked by this lake, I would cast my negative emotions to the swans, and they would help me devour it all. Thus, I selected bread as the medium. The entire narrative revolves around an obsession, a craving for shortcuts, generating an emotional bread-and-swan exchange. Yet this exchange did not fill the void; instead, it amplified desire, drawing me deeper into the quagmire of seeking instant gratification and escape.

This project employs narrative illustrations created with dip pen, using a somewhat fantastical approach to connect personal experiences of studying abroad, creative disconnection, and societal AI phenomena. It explores how emotions are projected, examines the amplification of desire, and considers how we might relearn to heal ourselves through time—namely, that shortcuts taken for desire, paths skipped, exact their toll in other ways.