Anger is not a “bad” emotion; it is just a response to needs being unmet.

“Good Girls are Never Mean” was a painting that came about during a few therapy sessions in which I was working through my reluctance to get angry when needed. Anger as an emotional response conjured up fears of uncontrollability, division, unbearable tension, and, ultimately, loneliness. Being a Black woman, mixed up in those fears were also worries surrounding being stereotyped and silenced, feeding into a cycle that would end in being labeled unprofessional or difficult to work with. Anger became something of a last resort, which began to impact my relationships and my mental wellness as a whole. Through working on this piece, I began understanding that severing myself from my anger was allowing a part of my humanity to be inaccessible.

“Good Girls are Never Mean” was created using full-body acrylic on a 18” x 24” gallery-wrapped canvas. It features a Black woman with an orange head wrap, large bangle earrings, and a necklace with a key-shaped charm. She wears an angered, annoyed expression on her face, her mouth covered in tape reading “BE NICE” in all capital letters. Dark grey steam pours out of her ears.

Original currently unavailable for purchase.