You’ll Understand When You Have Kids.

Unlike the other pieces, I view this one as a self-portrait. The dresser symbolizes how I feel after letting all the small frustrating moments get to me leading to the anxiety attack. After the tears are wiped away, after I finally feel as if my heart will remain in my chest, I just breathe. Feeling much like this dresser; empty, drained, and useless. It is out of place and not performing properly. However, the dresser isn’t broken, it can be fixed and put back together to perform as it was intended. Anxiety attacks and the stress of motherhood doesn’t last forever, and I always put myself back together. The title is inspired by a phrase I heard uttered to me so many times growing up, “You’ll understand when you have kids.” This used to infuriate me, because it felt like a cop out by adults in my life when they didn’t feel like justifying their actions.

The videos projected onto it are what keep me going. They are the reasons I don’t let the anxiety attacks keep me down for long. I have videos of moments from my childhood placed next to videos of my children. They are projected onto the dresser and appear distorted changing the original image, much like the lifespan of a memory. Some pieces get lost along the way. My only hope is that my children will remember the good times as I do now.

This piece is dedicated to my parents.

I understand now & I love you.