48x48”, Acrylic and Graphite on Cradled Wood Board, 2019.

This painting is a glimpse into how debilitating and overwhelming anxiety can be. My entire life I have had such extreme anxiety that I would become paralyzed/frozen in high-stress situations. When overwhelmed, I wouldn’t fight or flee—I froze. During these anxiety attacks I would feel completely out of my body—like I was just a brain and a pair of eyeballs locked in one spot. I couldn’t move any limbs or keep my eyes in focus. Relatively recently I’ve learned that this feeling has a name—dissociation. If any of you have experienced dissociation or a feeling similar to this, I’d love to hear if you resonate with this piece. And for those of you who haven’t experienced dissociation, or anxiety, I hope this painting gives you a little glimpse into this particular manifestation of such an extreme feeling.