When I was young, my mother would always listen to The Monkees. She would put her tape in the car cassette player as we made our way to our destination, unabashedly singing the lyrics slightly out of tune. Their songs found a way into my psyche, nestled between a nostalgic fondness of WWE wrestling and Yorkshire Pudding. Years later, there will be times that I find myself involuntarily humming their tunes while driving or washing the dishes, like a whisper of nostalgia.

I always liked the song Daydream Believer. It's simple prose is both catchy and thought provoking. I loved how it told the story of a woman who dreamed of a better life despite her reality. It's a familiar concept, and yet so hard to achieve in the face of struggle.

In this piece, I sought to explore the idea between the push and pull of dreaming.

Daydream Believer | 18" x 24" Caran d'Ache Graphite, Le Plume Alcohol Markers, Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils, Charcoal, and Gilding Paint on Strathmore 400 Series Paper.