Julie M. Elman

Julie M. Elman illustrates other people's fears. Her work has been published in a wide variety of publications, including NPR's The Picture Show, Featuring magazine in the Netherlands and Modern Weekly in Guangzhou, China, and has also been exhibited in numerous exhibitions across the United States. Elman has worked as a photojournalist, picture editor and designer for newspapers, and currently teaches publication design at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Since 2012, Elman has been creating a visual narrative about common and not-so-common fears, including death, failure, losing a child, losing one’s voice, losing one’s mind, centipedes in the shower, needles, cancer, speaking honestly with one’s spouse, seaweed, biscuits and clusters of small holes. Friends, neighbors, colleagues, students, family members, acquaintances, and even people she's never met, continue to share their fears with her. "I’ve discovered that this project has resonated strongly with people," Elman says, "simply because of how deeply embedded fear is in most of our everyday lives."

You can see her work at www.fear-project.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter (@fearproj).