Calvina Morgan

I always describe myself as “a lot Bipolar – a little artsy.” I dabble in different mediums from painting to tattooing and I even write. I love the freedom art brings me to explore my inner worlds, worlds where nothing is quite real and everything is up for interpretation. I have loved outer space since 4th grade when I was in the Young Astronauts Club, and I have always wondered about other worlds that might be out there. I enjoy science and the explanation behind everything but I always love to bend the rules so, for me, the idea that physics can be “bent” intrigues me deeply. I try to put things together that don’t quite go together and have a wonderful time exploring the surreal. Some of my favorite artists come from Surrealism, from Dali to Magritte and far beyond, I have always enjoyed the juxtaposition of worlds or realities. 

I struggle with Bipolar 1, Schizoaffective, and GAD so I find that when creating art of this nature, I am able to slow down the constant talking in my head and truly focus on one thing. It brings me peace to create such realities and allows me to dig into the things going on in my brain without completely detaching from reality. For me, art is therapy so in its very creation, I am finding the usefulness of such imagery. I am often caught up with the thoughts in my head, but, when I create, all of that slows down and it’s just me and the paintbrush/tattoo gun/pencil…whatever medium I choose…the effect is all the same, to make me a better, more understood person in the end. It’s the only way I can cope with mental health issues. And it’s far cheaper than conventional therapy.