The question in the title of my series highlights the main idea behind this body of work: the temptations and habits we have that drive us away from sleep. 

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This series is meant for viewers to be able to feel a little more normal and a little less guilty about their late-night patterns. Today’s demanding society conditions people to adopt the early-bird cycle; anything short of that is labeled “lazy”. This series negates that idea and normalizes our reality filled with the personal choices we make postponing sleep. I sought to document and share these relatable and ultimately normal moments; those where we get lost in our connections. Whether it be studying or eating midnight snacks, we each have some kind of “negative” connection. But these patterns aren’t “negative”, they are what makes us human. 

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In creating this work, I intricately staged the scenes in which the people in my life postpone their sleep in order to continue their habit. I materialize said habit by using yarn and enveloping them completely save for the involved sense. Each color of yarn is personalized for that situation, and each image is set at night when the person should be asleep. Finally, a singular light source in each scene spotlights the individual in the act of delaying sleep. 

 

The process of creating my series was far from perfect and closer to chaotic. My ideas were all over the place and not central to one vision. Eventually, one idea began clicking with another and I started seeing the message more clearly. Finally, I decided to add similar elements to each image to truly unify the series, which signaled the end of my imperfect creative process. 

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Looking back at this process, it happens to fit quite perfectly with the underlying message of the portfolio. 

 

Although unconventional, I decided to reveal the true nature of the process behind my series to support the idea of imperfect patterns, which is what being human is all about. To show that even I, as the artist, experience said imperfections, which are the metaphorical yarn that connects each of us