The Inside Joke
My latest artwork, "An Emotional Desert," is equal parts social commentary woven into the ongoing Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos themes and an inside joke (for those of you that get it). On the surface, it features a skeletal woman posing in a desert landscape somewhere in Navajo country — a serene, picturesque scene that could easily be mistaken for a vacation snapshot. Yet beneath this seemingly tranquil image lies a deeper story. Just like the barren desert, a narcissist’s emotional landscape is vast but empty. They can mimic the warmth of connection and the illusion of intimacy, creating mirages of love, care, and compassion that draw you in and keep you thirsting for more. Not every moment with a narcissist is painful; in fact, the “good” moments are often the most dangerous because they sustain the illusion that things can change. These are the periods of lovebombing, affection, and validation — moments that make you believe you are finally being seen and understood. In truth, these fleeting highs are calculated, part of a cycle designed to disarm and control, eroding your boundaries until dependence replaces balance and hope replaces reality.
Over time, the narcissist begins to withhold affection, isolate you from friends and family, and use emotional manipulation as both punishment and reward. The same warmth that once felt like love becomes a weapon to ensure obedience and silence dissent. You find yourself chasing those rare moments of happiness, convinced that if you just do or say the right thing, the person you fell in love with will return. But those glimpses of joy are not connection — they are control. That is the cruel paradox of the narcissistic relationship: the closer you try to get, the more desolate it becomes. Only a small fraction, around five percent, ever develop enough self awareness to begin real change, and even fewer follow through with the hard emotional work required to heal. The question then becomes, what does “better” truly mean? If someone cheats or lies a hundred times and later reduces it to ten, is that growth, or just a smaller cage? In the end, you deserve more than survival in an emotional desert. You deserve peace, reciprocity, and love that nourishes instead of drains.
Prints and merchandise are available at our #RedBubble and various other stores (links in bio).
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Private Collection
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/175057627?ref=studio-promote