Exhaustion

Very recently, at least by March 2022, I began to experience a new sensation of pain whenever I found myself tired or stressed: one that moved between my sternum and lower ribcage, burrowing deeper inside me. It's a physical pain that I never get used to, as I know it's not from injury, but felt in my soul and manifests physically. In this work, we see the naked, vulnerable figure sitting, weak from exhaustion with this hole in her chest, baring open the cavern to the deep exhaustion she feels. She has lost control of it, as it spills all over her and out into her world. The exhaustion I sometimes feel affects my existence in the outside world. Sometimes, it's too tiring to interact with the world, or even to exist. In this case, unfortunately, exhaustion conquers her. With her lowered eyes, we are not sure if she is preparing to sleep enough to regain her energy, or forever. She simply exists with a pain she feels like she cannot control.