Emotional Motion Sickness, May 2024  by Abby Houston

In this stage of mid-life I am finding a delicate balance between the demands of pursuing ‘whats next’ and the necessity of personal grounding.  It is a tightrope walk between ease and overwhelm, balancing the complexity of commitments and downtime inherent in daily life. 

I find this to be even more complex in my role as parent to three kids. 

In a world where families are constantly tethered to screens or over committed in activities, the line between mindless distraction and constantly being engaged becomes blurry. Somewhere within the ease of accessing entertainment and information there is an overwhelming feeling of being bombarded with expectations and constantly being on the go.  As a result we have lost the experience of just being. As a parent, I am charged with the weight of this for both myself and my little (getting bigger!) children. The process of navigating a landscape of over-commitment while striving to find moments of peace in being is ever present and real.

In this series Emotional Motion Sickness I have embraced the essence of this reality. 

Vibrant color compositions mirror the energy and chaos of parenthood, while subtle nuances invite viewers to contemplate the delicate balance between too much and what feels just right. The series demands engagement and pushes the viewer toward disengagement. Layers of texture and depth represent the nature of my experiences, from the exhilarating highs to the quiet moments of introspection.

In the end, my hope is that these works serve as a reminder to cherish the moments of stillness and connection amidst the noise of everyday life. My hope is that they inspire viewers to seek out their own balance between engagement and ease, embracing the beauty of both action and inaction in the journey of living.