Oh, My Word! This July, we have the distinguished privilege of welcoming Elizabeth Oyibo as a featured author. She is a 19-year-old artist from Des Moines, Iowa. She spends her time doing anything creative or artistic because she does not believe in limiting oneself solely to one form of self-expression. You can find all of her art on her Instagram account: @buymyartbeforeiburnit (Click the account name to go take a look!). Enjoy her new post below!

paranoia (noun)

para·noia | per-ə-ˈnȯi-ə​

mental illness characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations, or a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others.

I created this piece, titled “Paranoia”, around the winter of 2018. During this time, I was coping with various stressors in my life such as loss and addiction. 

This piece was created with no other purpose than to be so meticulous that it would give me enough work to take my mind off of what was happening in my life. It also served as a reflection of what was occurring in my life as a means to have some sort of release. 

Its title originates from the state I was in while creating the piece. Although the artwork itself wouldn’t be something I’d consider to be paranoid, the artistic elements have similarities to the condition. This is highlighted by the fact that there is so much going on at once and I did not know what to focus on.

There is a point of interest everywhere in the piece, just as I felt in my own life. All the different boxes to the left are somewhat like organized thoughts, yet still chaotic within. The skeleton in the center is supposed to be the “main point of interest”, yet it’s hard to focus on them due to everything else that’s going on. Leaving those who view the piece with the question: What is going on? Which, in fact, is a question I tried to answer within my own life through the creation of this piece.

In the midst of all the black and white chaos, sits a girl, smoking within the skeletons head. This is what I would consider to be the last part of myself that was calm. Even with everything going on, there was still a part of me that knew I was grounded to some degree, that there was still hope, but that all you can do sometimes is wait. So the girl sits, waiting, knowing that whoever perceives the piece will eventually notice amongst all of the chaos and all of the things to focus on, there is still a sense of calm and a sense of hope, you just have to search for it.

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Connect With Elizabeth Here – otibo11@gmail.com

Oh, My Word! is a weekly updated blog featuring fiction, poetry, drama, and essays for the world. #OhMyWordWednesdays

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