psychology

Postpartum

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Can art still shock and offend? Can it still cause questions to be asked? Can it drive a conversation? In today’s digital artwork, which for some reason just finished a four-hour rendering (maybe the rig was offended), I explore the dark side of the Romanticism movement. I’ve drawn on David Caspar Friedrich, who IMHO is the nexus of the movement, as well as adding an element of taboo. Of course, the work is dark (sunset plus phones/mobile devices make it harder to see), so pay attention to your surroundings. The point? I read an article yesterday on depression that led me down a rabbit hole, wherein I ended up in the squishy field of Postpartum Depression. Of course, as a man, it’s something I don’t have to deal with, but wanted to do a PSA foe the ladies that if you’re in that pit, you’re not alone. Get it treated before it turns into postpartum psychosis, which happened in this artwork, as all life is precious. Resources abound. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-(HELP) 4357.

Medicate

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No doubt this may be labeled NSFW, until I tell the censors that it’s art. This is about #depression – that black hound which haunts so many, including myself, and the tools one uses to breathe. It’s a self portrait, really, in all of its ingloriousness & probably an attempt to disavow any notions that anyone may have about my physical nature. The toll of half-a-Century on this mortal coil expressed in its full regalia, consumed by poor decisions, imperfections magnified by the waters of the disease, and the reaching for a cure that will never come. There’s more, but why be wordy?

Challenges were many in the creation of this artwork. Underwater is one of the hardest things to replicate in the constraints of my current software. So the ice is reskinned rocks, the bubbles are reskinned and modified confetti, and the splash is a raindrop, magnified 500 times, modded and reskinned in glass settings.

Happy

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“what makes you happy?” I asked myself in the depths of the night, unable to sleep – as usual. The answer wasn’t wealth, a hobby, a place, sex, or any of the usual answers. It was an existential question, driving towards the answer of why we are all here. Often, I feel completely alone, detached, even in crowds. So, my answer was naturally ‘the #touch of another human’. It’s something we often do without in our day-to-day lives, yet it’s the thing that lets us know we are not #alone – that we actually exist. So, when am I the happiest? Those rare precious moments with another, where two souls are in full touch. I’m not talking sex, this post (and the art) isn’t about that. It’s feeling the #warmth of another’s body, their heartbeat, loud in the quiet of the moment, the light reflecting off their hair and skin, their breathing (or sleep apnea), knowing they are wholly with you, and that you are not alone, and are wanted. Too soon these moments end, and the #numbness of our existence reasserts itself. I told myself I should express that visually, so here it is, what makes me happy. It won’t earn any #art awards, but it’s probably the most personal #digital #artwork I’ve created.

The Resurrection of Self-Doubt

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The body lay buried for many years, sunk in a swamp of tears and anxiety. She didn’t know why she left the warmth and safety of her present to find the remains of the buried past, yet here she was. As she crouched down in the damp sadness of the woods and nervously reached out to the fetid water, she saw the glow of wicked familiarity intensify as the past reached out for her as well.

Silent Agony

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Men generally take the majority of credit for an #abusiverelationship but there is a silent group of men who are #survivors of not necessarily physical, but rather #mentally and #emotionally #abusive #relationships – this #artwork is a representation of what it’s like for these men. So, assuming you’re over the bad boy phase, if you meet a nice guy who is super-skittish about being involved with you, odds are it was because he’s met a master of these #manipulation skills in the past. Patience, determination, and love can overcome though. #digitalart #digital #art #psychology