Hustle Culture
Allison P.
Acrylic paint, canvas board
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My piece reflects the concept of “hustle culture”-- the idea of putting our work at the forefront of our lives to succeed and achieve our goals. I’ve noticed this culture come up frequently in many aspects of my life and the lives of people around me, often leading to burnout or exhaustion. I constantly feel the need to be “productive” in order to keep up with the fast pace that life and everyone else around me seems to move at. In the piece, the brightly lit hands encircle the center subject into the same fate as its counterparts in the background, feeding into the never-ending culture. A pencil is deliberately placed into the subject’s fingers, while the shadowy hand on the left slides a piece of paper over. The hands are inviting, almost coaxing us to partake in this cycle, suggesting that it is in our innate purpose.
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Creativity is finding ways to express things I can’t find the words to say out loud. It lets my feelings speak for themselves and connect with others emotionally despite no words being spoken.