It's Okay to Feel Lost: Contemplations on Instagram Content
Throughout my maturation I have recognized that we are surrounded by messages. These messages give form to and provide understanding for our experiences in everyday life.
Being a product of my time, I find importance in the messages we allow ourselves exposure to on social media. Therefore, as part of my thesis, I investigated why young adults engage with trendy Instagram content that pairs aesthetic imagery with motivational, thought-provoking, or affirmational quotes. In this examination, I found that people follow this content because it provides an escape from negativity, supports their identity, and is a form of companionship. In making the artistic manifestations of these findings and more, I felt lost within my artwork; It did not feel fully myself. I am not as wholesome as the content I studied.
I found it necessary to take a leap by deviating from my formulaic presentations and considering the burden of negativity I felt. Even more so, I pursued a drive to explore the way in which art can be used as an outlet to process this weight and as a negotiator for coping.
My final body of work showcases both uplifting paintings, much like the Instagram content, and also paintings that display the close connection between positivity and negativity. In bringing together both joy and grief in my exhibit, it is my hope that this encourages the viewer to consider the way the two coexist. Furthermore, perhaps one may see the practice of positivity as an intentional choice that takes great effort.
I was once a proud pessimist, and remnants of this still linger. Though different disciplines, both communication studies and studio art, have taught me the power of messages. Our reception, creation, and interpretation of messages influences how we go about the world. Both visual and verbal language frames what we face throughout life. Our perception of what happens to us is often more impactful than what actually happens to us. Therefore, creating and consuming narratives in which we position ourselves to find agency or contentment within our circumstances is one of the most life-changing actions one can take.
Evelyn McCain ‘25
Advisor: Bridget Murphy Milligan, Michelle Johnson
All images copyright © 2025 Evelyn McCain. All rights reserved.
