Step Out of Survival Mode
Permission to Appreciate How Far You've Come
The Story Behind the Artwork
This work reflects an awareness of survival mode (the state in which constant adaptation, performance and self monitoring become necessary). It considered how deeply survival can shape behaviour and how difficult it can be to recognise when that mode is no longer required. Periods of instability, such as moving house, unstable relationships, or emotionally demanding environments, often demand sustained adaptation long after the conditions that created them have passed.
For many women, shoes function as a mediator: what we wear shapes how we are interpreted and treated. The emphasis on being read correctly reflects the emotional cost that misinterpretation can carry, positioning shoes as tools for navigating what is socially rewarded and adapting accordingly.
Visual elements
The composition is presented from the wearer's perspective, positioning the viewer within an internal moment of pause and choice. This downward gaze embodies self awareness.
The clean background and deliberate spacing introduce a sense of order and control. The blue suggests a sense of calm and containment in contrast to the visual urgency of survival mode, the composition offers regulation and gives each shoe room to exist.
Survival mode often shapes how we inhabit our shapes. Decorating requires a pause, a moment or recognition, and survival mode doesn't easily allow for that stillness. Beauty and art can begin to feel indulgent, something reserved for a later time when life feels more secure. This work sits in the moment where that mindset begins to loosen. The act of placing art on a wall becomes significant here, not as decoration but as acknowledgement. Allowing yourself to take a moment to enjoy what you have been able to provide for yourself.
Meaning and intent
This painting positions art as a marker of safety. Choosing to hang this piece on your wall becomes an act of commitment. It is a declaration that your space matters and that it is evidence of self trust that you will expect to be here long enough to care for it.
The intention of this piece is to accompany the transition into permanence. It acknowledges the resilience required to reach a place where settling feels possible. It acknowledges the emotional labour behind creating stability for yourself. It acts as a reminder that safety can include beauty and it is important to appreciate what you have been able to provide for yourself rather than constantly feeling you need to heal or improve.
Display recommendations
Displaying this piece acts as a reminder that you have reached a place where staying is possible. In homes shaped by survival, decoration is often delayed. This work marks a shift from constant adaptation towards appreciation of how far you have come. It belongs in a space where you pause, reinforcing the idea that you are safe enough to stay, to settle, and to acknowledge the space you have created for yourself. It supports the transition from simply getting through life to inhabiting it, encouraging a sense of grounding within your home.
If this piece honours how far you've come, enquire below to discuss bringing it into your home.
