Preview
Artist's Statement
The Weight of Becoming is a watercolor painting that explores the quiet struggle of concealing one’s true self beneath layers of expectation, performance, and composure. The work examines the tension between outward appearance and internal reality—the calm, controlled facade presented to the world versus the chaos, pain, and exhaustion that exist beneath it.
The figure embodies the pressure to conform, to suppress emotion, and to become what others need rather than who she truly is. As she is gradually overtaken and overgrown, she begins to lose her sense of self, becoming entangled in systems, responsibilities, and fears that were never meant to define her. The piece reflects the emotional experience of drifting away from the unguarded, innocent child-self—the version of us unmarked by trauma, expectation, or anxiety.
The doorway behind her represents what lies beyond the facade: the hidden interior world of emotion, honesty, and fracture. It speaks to the way pain is often contained rather than expressed, and how vulnerability is frequently suppressed in favor of functionality and control. Yet within this darkness, there remains a quiet sense of hope—a reminder that light persists, and that grace can still reach into overwhelm and fragmentation.
Dimensions
22 x 30 in
Year created
10-2025
Rights
© The Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Miller, Felicity A., "The Weight of Becoming" (2025). SACAD: Creative Activities. 146.
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad_art/146
