Frame of Mind: Introduction

Growing up as a young artist I focused on what was cool to draw, or at least what my peers told me was cool. I drew skulls and haphazard portrait sketches, I drew popular cartoon characters and comic book characters, and I drew a slew of no-thought tattoo designs. I did this for many years, from middle school to my adult life. I was drawing without purpose, without content, context, or connection. I was also struggling to connect socially.

Throughout my life, I have struggled with mental illness. I found myself disconnected from friends, confining myself to my room in the low swings, and working non-stop on random ideas in the high swings. I struggled with focusing on things that mattered and hyperfocused on the things that seemed important or exciting in my mind. I would find out till I was 22 that I had a diagnosis involving mental health of Bipolar Disorder and ASD.

I mention these things because my history has transformed my focus on art. I really started to focus on studying art history, what makes art, art, and why it is important, not only in my life but in the lives of nearly everyone on this planet. I used to believe that art was purely aesthetic in nature; that masterfully crafted artwork was what made it art. As I've progressed in self-awareness and as I've studied some of the greatest artists in the world, I've come to realize that art is meant to make the audience feel something deeper than "This looks well made." Artists and their artwork are defined by the emotional reaction they derive from their viewers/listeners/experiencers, not only in the heartfelt but the deep thinking and the visceral disdain for the piece.

In that moment of realization, I knew what my artwork was going to encompass. My artwork transitioned from what people want to see, to what people need to see and experience. Mental health and Alzheimer's/Dementia became my focus. These topics are not easy to discuss, not easy to digest, and certainly not at the forefront of all minds. They are however something that needs to be highlighted, not only in the struggles but also in the triumphs.

So as you take your journey to explore what art means to you, just remember, it is all just a Frame of Mind.

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