How does hypersensitivity caused by mental illness influence how I see myself and the world around me?

Women are typically viewed as extremely sensitive and overly emotional in comparison to men. In a world that critiques women for being vulnerable and open with their feelings, it can be extremely taxing to put on a front in order to tone down our emotions. As a woman who has struggled with mental illness my whole life, I have felt my emotions very strongly, specifically sadness, love, and loss. I want to communicate these feelings to my audience in a way that is relatable to them, because I know that everyone feels these emotions in one way or another, even if they don’t feel them as strongly as I do. For example, in my piece A Modern Day Yellow Wallpaper, I reimagined a story from the 19th century about a woman with severe mental illness in a modern context, to show that women have not been taken seriously when it comes to their emotions throughout history.

Though this exploration of myself and how I view the world around me is extremely personal and female-oriented, my goal is to create art that people can relate to and see themselves in. Through vivid colors, altering mediums, and intense backgrounds, I hope to convey the struggle of being a hypersensitive woman in this modern era.

colored pencil, 16 x 20