Wow! That is a lot of stuff going on!
A brief description of the art piece “What’s On Your Mind?”
Overview
The genesis of this piece came from my curiosity about what my brain would look like if I had an MRI while looking at pictures of cats. I am curious about what parts would light up, what the actual structures of my brain look like, and how those structures react to different stimuli. I also wanted to create a piece that represents who I am as a whole and how I experience emotions. I wanted to create a piece that is part neuroscience, part self-expression, part reminder of the various multiplicities people can contain. I was also inspired by my professors at the University of Akron, my peers in grad school, the TV show Dimension 20: Mentopolis, and Walter Wick’s I Spy books. I hand-drew, cut, painted, sculpted, layered, and glued paper to create this dimensional art piece.Quotes
The following quotes are attributed to Amanda Cole, MA, LPCC-S, NCC, a professor at the University of Akron: “Sit in the yuck”, “Say the thing that seems obvious”, “What is the truth underneath that?”, “Don’t Rush”, “Parents do well if they can”, “You have a choice, you may also have consequences”, “I am borrowing the best from the brilliance around me”, “Be curious”, “Walk 360 around the problem”, “It is what you don’t talk about that is out of control”, “No one if fine”, “Processing the history is the therapy”, “If not now, then when?”, “You cannot fail therapy”, “Listening is radical in some people’s lives”, “Kindness is the plan”, “I will believe in hope for the both of us”, “Find a way in, not a way out”, “We grow outside our comfort zone”, “Acceptance is not the absence of pain”, “Therapy is where you get to stop avoiding feelings.”Other quotes and personal mantras: “Make peace or make problems”(Carina Palcisko), “Stressie Depressie” (coined by the artist’s sister Emily), “Nice is different than good” (Stephen Sondheim). Temporal Lobe
This piece is a representation of what goes on inside my head. Beginning with the green, leafy area representing the brain stem and my connection to nature. The piece flows upward to the “Welcome to the Fabulous Las Vagus Nerve” sign, representing the Vagus Nerve location and a nod to polyvagal theory. The green leaves and white flowers are continued throughout the piece, representing the mind/body connection. The butterflies along the outside of the brain shape represent outside influences and things that are outside of our control. The gray outline of the brain represents gray matter and thoughts that flow through the brain. The lower section of the brain above the brain stem (Temporal lobe) contains the Limbic system and the hearing, processing, and interpretation systems. The limbic system is made up of 4 elements: the amygdala, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, and the thalamus. The amygdala (a red boxing glove with ice and wings) is the fight, flight, or freeze response. The hippocampus (VHS tapes and floppy disks) is the memory center. The Hypothalamus (gray control panel) controls homeostasis and regulates bodily functions (thirst, hunger, body temperature, circadian rhythms, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.). The thalamus (a transmitting radio tower) is the central relay station that processes and transmits sensory and motor information from the body to the brain.Next to the limbic system is the first of 6 cats present in the piece. A gray cat with strips and the chemical structure of Oxytocin in gold is looking to pounce on an outside influence. Above Oxytocin are the 5 major brain waves produced when our brain is stimulated, and the hearing and language processing center of the brain. This section is a tribute to my love of music and musical theater. This area includes the Comedy/Tragedy theater masks, music notes with a boom box, a purple iPod, flowing sheet music, and a disco ball. Occipital Lobe
To the right of the temporal lobe, we enter the occipital lobe and the visual center of the brain. This section represents my history in television and photography production. This section includes a studio light, a rainbow prism, 3D glasses, an old school movie camera, and a roll of film.Parietal Lobe
Above the occipital lobe, we enter the parietal lobe. Instead of focusing on the somatic sensory area, I chose to focus on my experiences of “negative” feelings. This lobe includes a trash can full of things I am not good at, a blob depression monster fighting an SSRI pill, my lungs being choked by anxiety, anger/rage being restrained in a cage, the hammer of self-doubt, a shame spiral, matches of burnout, an overflowing cup of feelings, and a small crying cat. I included this section to explore the Gestalt principles of Holism and Polarities. I wanted to acknowledge all parts of myself in this piece, not just the things that make me happy.
Frontal Lobe
Left of the parietal lobe we enter the final section of my head, the frontal lobe. I used this lobe to represent my values and aspects of my identity that are important to me. This section includes 4 more cats (Endorphin, Dopamine, Serotonin, and a hidden Sherlock Holmes cat that represents my curiosity), portraits of friends and loved ones, a sleeping teddy bear on a crescent moon, crossed hand mirrors (for mirror neurons), books for my love of reading and learning, a woman dancing, a graduation cap and lightbulb representing ideas and education, a 20-sided die for my love of role-playing games, and my love of travel (represented by a passport, globe, and National Park Service logo). Gears represent the prefrontal cortex and logical thinking, but followed closely by a silly goose for my sense of humor and love of silliness. Then there is the open sign, serving as a reminder to keep an open mind when meeting new people, and paintbrushes and a palette for my love of the arts and my creativity. The stop sign is positioned near the quote, “Don’t Rush,” to remind me to slow down and take my time with clients. The Venezuelan and American flags represent my ethnicity, and the scale weighing the heart against a feather and the last line from the Pledge of Allegiance represent my strong feelings about fairness, freedom, and justice for all people.