Facing the Pink Elephant

What was your inspiration for Do Not Think of the Pink Elephant?

I have always been a perfectionist, and I worry about not being able to control things. I wanted to represent my tendency to suppress nervous thoughts and how that habit leads to more anxious thoughts. I heard about the Pink Elephant Paradox, which captures this cycle: When you try to suppress your thoughts, those thoughts become more persistent. Learning about this theory helped me realize that I should start accepting my emotions and fears instead of trying to suppress them. I wanted to capture this idea in my art.

What was your working process?

The biggest challenge was developing the right composition. I took reference images of myself in different poses to make the composition feel more realistic. When I created a composition that I was happy with, I started painting. I’m the type of person to figure it out as I paint. If I mess up, I just cover it up and try again.

How did you decide on the materials?

Before I select my materials, I think about the image I want to capture, then select the medium that best fits my idea. For this piece, I wanted to use vibrant and saturated colors since it’s a pink elephant. I decided to use oil paint because I wanted to render the pink elephant realistically. I think oil paint is great for depicting hyperrealistic animals.

Do you have advice for young artists?

When I was younger, I focused on making art that would win competitions or impress my teachers. Then I realized in high school that the best art starts with figuring out what matters to you and what you want to say. The most important thing is to make art you feel connected to.