how to draw a perfect circle

A work in progress, How to Draw a Perfect Circle, is about perfection and control and the hold it’s had on my life. I am the classic “good girl,” socially and academically successful, smart and driven, pretty and kind but also, a people pleaser, having no opinions on things and always following the rules. I ticked these “boxes” to please others at the cost of my own wellbeing or needs. This shaped much of my life and eventually led to anorexia in my teens and college years. I was compelled to create this series as I needed to explore these issues – how they came to be and coming to terms with how they affected my life.

How to Draw a Perfect Circle also includes diary entries and letters that I have written to people in my life (and to myself) who have played a part with my struggle. The juxtaposition between the images and text highlights my need to visually give the facade of a happy, self-deprecating girl to the world while underneath silently churning with emotion.