The Bare Bones of Narcissism
This is my latest painting titled A Holiday Prop and it is part of The Inside Joke’s Bare Bones of Narcissism gallery, which explores narcissism and its effects over generations through art. The holiday setting is intentional, using a familiar and emotionally charged moment to reveal uncomfortable truths beneath the surface. What should feel warm and child centered instead becomes a staged performance built around image, control, and recognition.
A Holiday Prop explores how a narcissist’s relationship with their child becomes a process of grooming for validation and social status. Christmas photos are taken with the narcissist positioned as the center of attention, outdressing their children who are treated as background elements and barely seen beside them. The goal is to craft the image of the perfect holiday mom or dad, not through connection or care, but by ensuring they remain the sole focal point of the moment they present to the world.
Where most healthy parents focus the holidays on their children or the family as a whole, the narcissist will make themselves the soul star of the moment in flashy or scantily clad outfits someone half their age would think twice about wearing. The holidays become less about others and more about them, the outfits, the parties, and what gifts they will receive. Children are reduced to social media props, used to project the illusion of noble parenting while their emotional needs remain unseen beneath the spectacle.
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