INTRODUCTION:
“Magic You” is a virtual reality interactive narrative experience. It is a coming-of-age story about ADHD, with joys, anxieties, bitter memories, and growing pains, told in a hand-drawn, coloured-pencil aesthetic as a magical journey. The artwork hopes to present the experiences and imagination of ADHD patients to the audience in a poetic way and give the audience a better understanding of ADHD.
The artwork’s experience unfolds across six key scenarios, blending surreal representations with interactive storytelling. As players progress through each stage of growth, the complexity of interactions deepens, introducing more dynamic and engaging elements. Players are encouraged to explore these scenarios spontaneously, immersing themselves in the following six scenes: “The First Birthday” (featuring Zhuazhou, a traditional Chinese ritual), “Adolescence,” “Adulthood,” “Surreal Tower,” and “Reconciliation.”
The interactions and artistic effects are inspired by two primary symptoms of ADHD: “Attention Deficit” and “Hyperactivity.” Grounded in research and interviews with ADHD individuals, each scene reflects specific symptoms associated with different life stages. For instance, the transformation of paper balls into paper planes draws from childhood memories shared by ADHD patients who fondly recalled playing with paper balls. Elements such as unreadable text and objects that cannot be grasped mirror common challenges faced by ADHD individuals. Additionally, flickering, colourful objects in each scene serve a dual purpose: they distract the player’s attention while guiding them toward interactive elements.
