Youth
by Jivan Nallamothu
$100
This piece started as an exercise to retrain my brain in the face of perfectionistic OCD. When faced with a blank canvas, paper, or 3D viewport, my thoughts run wild with potential ideas. However, these thoughts immediately jump to the hypothetical negative reactions that others might have to my work, killing the idea before it even begins to take hold. To fight this frustrating cycle, I forced myself to sit in front of my computer and create random 3D objects every day for about a week. Eventually, I found myself setting up a cloth simulation over a rudimentary human model. Keeping in line with simple 3D modeling techniques, I created the character seen in “Youth”. I continued my daily timer exercise to build the rest of the scene, proving to myself that I am capable of seeing a project to completion regardless of my anxious rumination about the piece. The final product is a representation of my newfound embrace of the uncomfortable to reap the benefits of taking a risk. With each print that is displayed or sold, I am reminded of my victories over my OCD. “Youth” reminds me to embrace my instinct to explore, create, and share my creations.