A Burden of Self

A Burden of Self was inspired by a friend of mine, who had confessed that they had tried to end their life. No one knew they were struggling and it came as not only a shock, but a reality check.

I chose the mask and feather as the two key points for this piece because they symbolize the burdens we put on ourselves during times of mental anguish. It can seem that we feel like we're being a bother by talking to others, so we put on a mask and pretend things are okay. The feather symbolizes the crushing weight of the struggles we face, even if on the surface it still looks like an easy thing to carry. The dancing, care-free nature of the subject on the left and the hunched, defeated nature of the subject on the right are also important parts of this story as well.