Myselves

chickadee singing another version of herself, illustration about mental health — Gwenn Seemel
*Myselves*
2023
acrylic on panel
6 x 12 inches

What do you think the smaller bird in the lower left corner is feeling? And the one in the song bubble? What impression do the branches give you?

I’ve always struggled to communicate with others about who I am and what I need or want. Sometimes I feel like this chickadee, a bird species whose name comes from its calls, which sound a little like “fee-bee” and sometimes, when there’s danger, “chick-a-dee-dee-dee.”

How is your song a distortion of your self? In what ways are you successful in communicating about yourself?

You can watch the making of Myselves.