A Debut Series
The Inner Child Collection
This series began with "The Wish" which was completed on the day of my 30th birthday, this milestone birthday brought with it an invitation for self-reflection and maybe even a bit of nostalgia. "The Wish" represents the phenomenon of feeling younger than you are and the bittersweetness of the passage of time. It got me thinking about the concept of the inner child. In modern culture, the idea of the inner child is used to help us describe aspects of our behavior and the intense emotional reactions we sometimes find ourselves in. But what if it's so much more than that?
What if our inner child lives not just within our trauma, as the field of psychology suggests, but within our everyday moments as well? What if she expresses herself in the morning mood before coffee? Can you find her in the joy that is sparked by the simplest moments? What if by recognizing our inner child, we find a deeper connection to our beautiful authenticity? And through this authenticity what if we can experience the full richness of humanity...the happy, the sad, and all that lives in between?
This project began light-hearted and with a bit of whimsy. As I explored this idea, it became something different. I don't have many clear memories from my childhood, and by taking time to study this little girl, I found a way to connect to a part of me that was otherwise lost. Photos from my childhood inspired all of these paintings but been have altered in some way to contribute to the narrative. And although when I look at these I see myself, I hope that when you look at them, you see a bit of yourself reflected in them as well. In my creative practice, I have come to learn that so much of what feels personal is also universal. This is part of the thread that connects us all.
Danee Damore with "The Artist"