Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
2022
8 × 10 in. Shadow Box
Marker on Paper, Cut from Original Journal
Original / 1 of 1
This piece didn't start as something I intended to frame.
In 2022, I had a journal that I would doodle in. It was a place where ideas could exist without needing to be finished, beautiful, sellable, or even make complete sense. This drawing came directly from that journal.
Years later, I cut the original page out and put it into a shadow box.
The words “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow” sit above a character wearing a shirt that satirizes Nike's famous “Just Do It” slogan. But instead of applying that motivational language to exercise, ambition, or finally accomplishing something you've been putting off, I placed it in one of the darkest situations possible.
That's the joke.
And it's intentionally a terrible one.
The piece takes motivational language like stop waiting, tomorrow isn't guaranteed, and just do it and pushes it somewhere that immediately makes those words horrifying.
Because not every thought deserves to become an action.
Suicide is obviously not funny. The absurdity comes from taking a slogan designed to motivate people and putting it into a context where following that advice would be irreversible.
I've always been drawn to humor, including when what I'm thinking about underneath it isn't funny at all. Sometimes making something ridiculous gives me a way to approach subjects that are much harder to talk about directly.
That's also why preserving the original journal page matters to me.
I didn't recreate it years later with cleaner lines or better materials. I didn't repaint it now that I've spent more time creating. The unevenness, marker, handwriting, and original paper all belong to the person I was when I drew it in 2022.
It is literally a piece of my past that I decided was worth keeping.
And underneath all of the satire, I want the actual message of this piece to be completely clear:
If you're struggling with suicidal thoughts, please tell somebody.
A friend. A family member. A therapist. A stranger on a crisis line. Somebody.
You don't have to turn the worst thought you've ever had into the last decision you ever make.
If you're in the United States, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate support. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
The drawing says, “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow.”
But sometimes choosing tomorrow is exactly the point.
Make it to tomorrow.
2022
8 × 10 in. Shadow Box
Marker on Paper, Cut from Original Journal
Original / 1 of 1
This piece didn't start as something I intended to frame.
In 2022, I had a journal that I would doodle in. It was a place where ideas could exist without needing to be finished, beautiful, sellable, or even make complete sense. This drawing came directly from that journal.
Years later, I cut the original page out and put it into a shadow box.
The words “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow” sit above a character wearing a shirt that satirizes Nike's famous “Just Do It” slogan. But instead of applying that motivational language to exercise, ambition, or finally accomplishing something you've been putting off, I placed it in one of the darkest situations possible.
That's the joke.
And it's intentionally a terrible one.
The piece takes motivational language like stop waiting, tomorrow isn't guaranteed, and just do it and pushes it somewhere that immediately makes those words horrifying.
Because not every thought deserves to become an action.
Suicide is obviously not funny. The absurdity comes from taking a slogan designed to motivate people and putting it into a context where following that advice would be irreversible.
I've always been drawn to humor, including when what I'm thinking about underneath it isn't funny at all. Sometimes making something ridiculous gives me a way to approach subjects that are much harder to talk about directly.
That's also why preserving the original journal page matters to me.
I didn't recreate it years later with cleaner lines or better materials. I didn't repaint it now that I've spent more time creating. The unevenness, marker, handwriting, and original paper all belong to the person I was when I drew it in 2022.
It is literally a piece of my past that I decided was worth keeping.
And underneath all of the satire, I want the actual message of this piece to be completely clear:
If you're struggling with suicidal thoughts, please tell somebody.
A friend. A family member. A therapist. A stranger on a crisis line. Somebody.
You don't have to turn the worst thought you've ever had into the last decision you ever make.
If you're in the United States, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate support. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
The drawing says, “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow.”
But sometimes choosing tomorrow is exactly the point.
Make it to tomorrow.