Piece: Stuck in the Clouds
Date: September 1, 2020
Medium: Pencil
This piece represents the feeling of battling with your own thoughts. When dealing with bad days people tend to be “in their heads” about their worries, and many brush it off as “zoning out” or having your “head in the clouds”. When struggling with a mental illness, it can be very hard to ground yourself and find ways to pull yourself out of a “funk”. This art is an expression of that lonely feeling of being in your head, or feeling like you are drowning in bad thoughts. We must remember that we control our thoughts and there are tips and tricks to help ground yourself in these situations. You are never stuck and there are also people who can help.
Piece: Cracking Mask
Date: October 16, 2020
Medium: Pencil and colored pencil
This piece represents the mask that many put on when dealing with mental illness. The blue color is representative of sadness as well as the glassy stone like look to the “mask”. When people who are battling mental illness put on a mask it is likely because they do not want to be a “burden” to those around them. As you can see in this piece the mask is cracking.This is representative of how hard it can be for people struggling with mental health to keep things bottled up. We must communicate how we are feeling in order to seek help and get better.
Piece: I Can’t Leave But I Can’t Stay
Date: September 23, 2020
Medium: Pencil
This piece is representative of an unhealthy relationship that can develop when one or more partners are struggling with their own mental health. Many people with mental health issues will become codependent on a significant other to feel like they are enough. This can be detrimental to everyone involved. The fingers melting away on the bottoms, except for the pinkies that are latched together, are symbolic of the codependency. It also symbolizes that one or both parties feel as though if they let go they may wither away. However, it is the codependency that is causing harm to their minds. We need to remember as a generation that no person is worth invading our peace and disrupting our mental health. We must remember to put ourselves first when it comes to our mental health and growth as a human.
– Gracie, California
