Important Information Series
A little about how it came to be- availble in the online store now.
“Important Information” and “Mess of Emotion” originals are available in the online store. As a thanks for subscribing to this little substack, you’re the first to know with first dibs on the originals.
“It’s important information” is something I (probably annoyingly) say in my therapy space to clients often. The first work I created like this is on my wall and often referenced in stuck moments. Emotions frequently get assigned negative or positive, but every single one is meaningful and important, not “good” or “bad”. Each acts as the body and mind’s signals to help you human. Angry? May be an important sign of a boundary that’s been violated or an indicator for justice. Disgusted? That may be an internal cue that whoever gives you that feeling doesn’t need your time or connection. Filled with Awe or Wonder? Whatever brings you this feeling must be pursued and repeated for a life of vitality.
I created the first of these works when designing my therapy office. Prior to designing my room, I became very interested in neuroaesthetics and made each design choice and creation with intention with my clients in mind. Neuroaesthetics is an emerging field of study that explores how architecture, design, art, and music affect the brain, mental/emotional wellness, and human behaviors.
I had a client tell me (you know who you are 😉) that the traditional feelings wheel was useful but not at all aesthetically pleasing (she was not wrong, there is a wheel and an acronym for everything in therapy and I have a love hate relationship with it). With her observation in mind, I created a work of art to show feelings associated with color, clearly naming each feeling is important information.
In a culture that sanctions some emotions and not others, reframing each as important could be some of our most revolutionary work. So I created these pieces of art as a reminder that all emotions belong and sometimes (according to the accompanying “Mess of Emotion” works) many belong at once.
I recently gifted Important Information and Mess of Emotion to a friend of mine who is endlessly delightful and creative. She’s a former “little artist” from Art Feeds—since she was four!—and now, at 15, she had some thoughtful reflections on the work.
She noticed that the canvas of Mess was painted “curiosity pink” as the base layer and loved how it peeked through all the layered emotions. To her, it felt like a reminder that curiosity is always present, woven into everything. She also astutely spotted a color in Mess that doesn’t appear in Information. After considering its significance, she decided it must represent her own special light and energy. As usual I’m reminded of the authenticity and “knowing” that kiddos and teens amongst us have, which must be why I’m so drawn to their special energy and light.
If you made your own (highly encouraged! I do not gatekeep!) what colors would you assign to the feeling(s) you are experiencing now?
Bird by bird.
Xxo
-meg
P.s I appreciate your grace with my neurodivergence, mistakes are human! Hard to come by in this ai world so I’m keeping some! All paid subscriptions support 20% of my therapy caseload where I work with clients pro-bono or at a lower cost. I’m grateful for that support to give accessible therapy to those that need it.