Artist Statement

A common way we visualize our lives is through the analogy of a roller coaster. This analogy never stuck with me. It could be because of the fact that I’m not a fan of roller coasters-or maybe there was a deeper meaning behind it. As a kid growing up in Minnesota, I saw myself as a fishing boat struggling to get through the waves of a storm. This visual became stronger and stronger as life went on because of the situations that I had to face. My issues with anxiety and depression as well as my continued struggles with dyslexia and ADHD were major aspects of my life that established this visualization.

I decided to combine my creative endeavors in Illustrator and Photoshop to establish the feelings for each of the major aspects of my life. The storm and lighting are used to represent the rapid issues of ADHD. The octopus is used to represent the feeling of being pulled down by depression. The naval mines are used to represent the buildup of emotional tension until sudden explosion; just like anxiety. The Icebergs are used to represent the constant brain blocks one gets when dealing with dyslexia. In each one of these illustrations depicting a struggle, you find a boat traveling through the rough waters. I visualize myself as the fishing boat struggling to get through the peak of a storm.