April 20, 2024, I was invited by dedicated local mental health advocate and teacher, Cherlyn Johnson to paint live and also present a painting for her Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Forum. This forum took place inside of Florida State University Panama City's Auditorium. This painting is based on real statistics on the mental health and suicidality of high school teens.
Mental health and suicide prevention are crucial because they address the well-being and safety of individuals. Mental health affects every aspect of life, from relationships to productivity. Suicide prevention is essential to save lives and support those struggling with mental health challenges. It's about fostering a supportive environment where people feel heard, understood, and able to seek help without stigma.
The Painting and it's Meaning
Statistics..
The painting that I created was based on a few important statistics from 2021:
• Nearly all indicators of poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased from 2011-2021.
• In 2021, 15% of high school students were bullied at school during the past year. Female students were more likely than male students to be bullied at school.
• In 2021, Black students were more likely than Asian, Hispanic, and White students to attempt suicide.
• In 2021, 42% of high school students felt so sad or hopeless almost everyday for at least 2 weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual activities.
A Deeper Dive Into the Painting
When I created this painting, I did so by taking myself back to my younger self. I took myself back to a time in which I was being picked on and misunderstood. I was always a very quiet and shy person for the most part. I probably talked to my sketchbooks more than people at this time. (Lol) That was just me. Drawing was my way of creating a safe space. Drawing and writing poetry.
Notice that the top of the painting looks like notebook paper with uneven lines and smudged ink. That was intentional. I wanted the painting to take people who view it back to childhood or school. I also painted a broken pencil with static or broken lines coming from it. I wanted the painting to have elements in it that create angst or a sense of anxiousness.
Take note of the hand prints as well. Those are my real hand prints. Back in high school I definitely had moments where I thought of commiting suicide but did not do anything serious to act upon those thoughts. I was too scared and decided that crying and finding other ways to express my feelings was probably a better alternative. It was a tough time, but in the end I'm so happy that I got through that. Now, I'm an advocate for mental health and am becoming more of a staple and positive influence within my community.
While wanting to evoke a sense of my own personal experience as someone who has dealt with mental health I also wanted to relate to teens today. Teenagers have much more pressure on them now than ever before. When I was growing up social media was definitely present but not as prevalent as it is today. Students nowadays have to deal with in-person peer pressure, the weight of the world and social issues, along with social media and all of the expectations that come with these things.
In the painting above I painted a black girl because representation really does matter and being able to tell stories or paint pictures from our perspective is so important. The brain represents the mind in this painting and on or around it are the TikTok icon, Instagram icon, and the World. Take note of her hair as well. You may notice little x's and a lot of mark making. Growing up, wearing my natural afro was something that my peers at the time deemed as nappy, unkept and unmanageable. This coming from kids that looked like me was something I couldn't wrap my head around. The self-hatred and lack of empathy was something that I noticed often when in middle and high school.
The Positive in the Painting
I added something very subtle in the painting that some people may not have noticed.. leaves. If you scroll back up a little you will see leaves growing underneath the girl in the painting. I painted these abstract leaves all around her head. It represents growth. Even if it's subtle and almost unnoticeable, it's still growth. 💚💚
Final Notes & Your Interpretation
My goal with this painting was to make sure to have representation for all students but especially black students and black girls in particular that may have suicidal thoughts, are facing depression or are just struggling mentally and are feeling overwhelmed. May this painting allow young people to know that they are not alone and that their feelings are valid. What was your interpretation of this painting? Feel free to send me an email or message me your thoughts! This painting is currently for sale and I will have it here on my online shop!