Connecting...

When I was a young child, almost every single piece of art I made was given away. I would draw portraits of my friends, make friendship bracelets, and doodle goofy comic strips. These gifts were given to show my care for others, but also to validate myself. Everyone told me I was a "good artist".

When I was in middle school, my mental health took a sharp downward turn. I was heavily depressed and made art about my feelings. However, now these drawings were never shared,  and instead were stowed away under my bed or stuffed between books on my shelf. 

Now, I strive to use my art to find understanding and community with other humans. I make art about my emotions and display my work to the world, hoping that others can find comfort and understanding within my work. I make art about aspects of my life I have or have had difficulty processing: growing up Catholic, domestic and sexual abuse, my bi-sexuality, and my experiences as a sex worker. Not only do I hope my art can be relatable to those who have had similar life experiences as I have, but I invite those who are entirely unfamiliar with my walk of life to peer into it with the intention of getting to know me, and humans like myself. 

One aspect of my art that has remained a constant throughout my life is the general style and theme of my work. I am drawn to pastels, fairytales, and whimsy. My art normally takes a more delicate visual approach, often contrasting the message of my work, as the topics are not often delicate. Though I feel able to express decently myself through my current means and style of working, I hope to branch into new artistic styles, to be able to convey my thoughts more clearly or in a new light. McLuhan quotes, "We have now become aware of the possibility of arranging the entire human environment as a work of art, as a teaching machine designed to maximize perception and to make every day learning a process of discovery". In this course, I hope technology can help me maximize the meaning of my work, as I rearrange my own environment into works of art.