SELF EXPRESSION
IF YOU FEEL
YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH
TO LET YOUR CREATIVE VOICE
BE HEARD,
START WITH A WHISPER.
YOUR VOICE WILL COME.
When I was cleaning out the back of the studio, I stumbled upon this role of white translucent mylar. It gave me an idea of a way to represent how I sometimes feel in portraits.
With all of the demands that are on me as a parent, business owner, and woman trying to find her way during Covid, I sometimes feel like I am living behind a thick veil that keeps me in and keeps the world out. (Doesn't that sound a bit like a sheet of white mylar?)
I know what I am feeling is a combination of overwhelm, burnout, and complete lack of sleep. It happens when I spend days and night in the hospital with my child, when I am recovering from a migraine, or when I feel too tired to stay awake but still cannot sleep.
I realize it is not permanent. It will not last forever. But it is still hard. I need rest, good self care, and space to find my way back to myself.
I love the heaviness, the weight, and the hollow feeling in this series. I mean, I don't love feeling it, but it speaks to me in a haunting way.
This portrait series is an exploration of how I feel when everything seems stuck inside, when the pressures of the world are bringing me down, and when I feel like I've lost sight of what is needed most.
(You can click on it to open it up full screen.)
Art is also for the viewer. It can mean something completely different to you.
What do you see? What does this make you feel? How would you visually represent the way that overwhelm makes you feel? I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share. If you are more comfortable sharing privately, I would welcome an email or direct message.
Love and light,
Michelle Massey Barnes
0 Comments