The idea behind this series came from me personifying my mental health. When I was in art school, I would become very burnt out by the end of the semester, especially with being a full time student with a job. When designing this project, I found myself feeling stuck in my own brain. My thoughts moved a thousand miles per hour, yet I was pushing against the sides, unable to get any ideas out. I wanted to escape from the sheer amount of stress I was experiencing in my life, much like the figure wants to break free of her prison inside the canvas.

I approached this by thinking of the canvas as my brain, looking out into the world around me but feeling isolated and trapped inside my thoughts. Low mental health can feel incredibly overwhelming and bleak, and I wanted the artwork to represent my emotions. I decided to achieve this by making the color palette and image area feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic. The dark color palette and strong crop pulls the viewer into the space with the figure, making them feel the tension alongside her. The sunlight and the lighter colors in the third piece symbolizes the creative expression trying to peek through the art block, giving a sense of hope and motivation. This lets the figure know that she won't be trapped forever. The glass breaking is how I felt trying to come up with something– ANYTHING– just to get my assignments done and have it be over. Shattering the glass, breaking free from the canvas, and disappearing into nothing represents freedom from the epiphone of ideas. Nothing feels more freeing than finally having a concept that you’re truly excited about.

In My Own Head, 2023