Be What You Want
I went to an art show the other month and walked into someone’s exhibition and the theme was anxiety! And I thought, “Ooo, I can relate to anxiety! This will be great for me to see this!” and as I walked around, oh my goodness, it was anxiety provoking! It was not like helpful in anyway to my mental health like in the way that you can empathize and feel seen and loved and encouraged….it was more showing the anxiety as it is separate from anything positive. It was like very dark and I honestly had a little bit of a panic and wanted to leave! Ah!
It made me rethink a lot in terms of the art I have been making and the deep dark depression I was in and my current anxiety and trauma crapola I’ve been working on. My art is very bright and positive as it is but I had made some pieces that were from a dark place and I think while it was healing to me, I need to make sure that healing comes through more then the darkness. I definitely want people to see my art and feel better after absorbing it, not worse. If I had this gallery space to reach tons of people, I would want people to feel uplifted, light, joy, ease, peaceful, supported and optimistic. Do I want to invite people into that death vibe? lol No. Thank. You.
The only thing is that my hypothetical positive show can’t just have warmth…it needs to have competence as well. Like I don’t want the vibe to be like I don’t know what suffering is you know? But I want it to be a place where people can rest, recharge, feel seen and have a chemical reaction of a perfectly concocted chemical cocktail…dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Like belonging, understanding and acceptance. Like a friend who hears you out and blesses you with encouragement and points to the light at the end of the tunnel that is truly just seconds away. Doesn’t that sound refreshing? Like a jump in the crisp ocean with your best friend and fresh cali burritos waiting for you type joy.
So that is my underlying goal with all my work. Everyone needs more feelings of belonging and love even in the midst of extreme suffering. Oooooo yeaaaaaah :)
