DRINK PIECE
By Julia Smead
Pour out a glass or mug of your favorite drink
Each time you take a sip, write down a positive affirmation on a piece of paper
Do so until the glass or mug is empty
Hang this paper on a surface you will see often
Artist’s Statement:
This piece is inspired by my struggle with mental illness, particularly depression. I often have negative thoughts about myself and find it hard to drag myself out of these thoughts. This piece is intended to encourage the reader to really think about what they like about themselves and think positively. One of the things I do when I’m having negative thoughts is drink tea or coffee. Drinking a warm drink is a comforting action to me, and I thought it would be a good way to both enhance the experience of thinking positively and limit the number of affirmations the reader needs to write to a reasonable and doable number. I specifically wanted the reader to write on paper rather than type their affirmations for a couple of reasons. The first is that writing is a much more intimate action, and it feels more personal to me than typing. The second is that I wanted the affirmations to be hung up. The hanging of the sheet of paper on a surface you see often is to remind the reader to think positive thoughts on a regular basis.
Documentation:
A mug of coffee and blank sheet of paper
A half-full mug of coffee and some affirmations
An empty mug and a paper full of affirmations
Hanging the affirmations on a door
Affirmations
Original iteration:
Pour out a glass or mug of your favorite drink
Each time you take a sip, think of one thing you are grateful for/one thing you like about yourself
Do so until the glass is empty