Bumps Along the Road
Evan T.
Chalk pastel
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This piece was created in lieu of the commonly used metaphor of a road for life. This chalk pastel self-portrait takes on these sayings with a new perspective. With the road representing life, this piece symbolizes what experiencing and overcoming depression felt like as a part of my personal journey. While a small bump or pothole in the road may seem insignificant when looked at on it's own, when put into the perspective of a person driving on a "bumpy" road these faults begin to build up. For some, these bumps, which signify hardships or feelings of distress, add up rapidly and may result in a flat tire as seen in the portrait. The pictured flat tire is symbolism for depression, the feeling of these bumps adding up and "breaking" the car, resulting in a halted journey. My hope was to convey this feeling of "stuckness" with depression, attributing this to the many issues built up overtime, wearing down the tires. However this piece does not represent hopelessness, though it is meant to allow the viewer to connect with the solemn emotion of the character, but rather has further meaning. As pictured in the piece, even once a tire is flat this does not mean the end to ones journey, but rather the tire can be changed and the journey can continue. Once again referring to depression, showing hitting this plateau in life is not the end. This piece was my first usage of chalk pastel, giving myself a challenge.
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Creativity is the ability to bring ideas that come to you to life. Creativity does not necessarily mean unique, but rather the ability to craft something (physical or verbal) that communicates what you are thinking to others. Creativity is necessary for meaningful communication.
