Artwork Title: I have many voices in my head
By: Zia Foley
Dimensions (in inches): 8.5" x 5.5"
Media: Watercolour and Ink
Year: 2021
Artist Statement
They say that if you hear voices in your head you’re crazy. But doesn’t everyone have at least one voice in their head? I know I do. In fact, I have many. And it’s my guess that many other sane people do too.
Some of the voices in my head are helpful. My conscience, for example, counsels me on the difference between right and wrong. My late father is in there too, and sometimes he pops into my head to give me advice, or tell me he is proud of me.
Other voices haven’t been so helpful. Sometimes, they tell me I am not smart enough, or not good enough. This, at times, has led me to be overtaken shyness and anxiety. As a result, I have often tried to silence all the voices, but they always come back.
Since I can’t get rid of them, I have learned to try a different approach – to accept and embrace them. This has allowed me to exploit them, and use them to play, to learn, to create art and to connect with something greater than myself.
The negative ones have never left me though, and once in a while they still trip me up. So perhaps the best strategy is to build a healthy relationship with them. I do this by identifying which ones are positive, and which ones are negative or dangerous to my mental well being. And then I use the positive ones to reason away the negative ones.
If you’re like me, and you hear voices in your head. Then figure out a way to make them work for you. Look for the ones that help you, and connect with your roots. And if the negatives ones ever take over, and hold your mind hostage, then go get some help from a professional to put the positive ones back in charge.
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