Penny for my thoughts?, Mylar Bags, 2023, Photo: Carey Shaw

The thoughts were printed on small card stock papers, each one placed inside a black mylar pouch with a transparent section. The bags are labeled with this information: “Thought number, Price: 1 ¢, and Expiration Date: Varies”. The label is meant to add a touch of wry humor to the piece and play with the original phrase, but also convey that the monetary value is not of importance here.

​Each bag represents one thought, mainly concerning isolation, lost home, language barriers, being on the margins, not being seen, and mental health issues. Pinned to a pinboard outside of drawing studio, located in Murray building, there is an instruction beside them that states what is expected from the audience. These thoughts are my very personal concerns, excluding any personal detail, therefore they are not fun to read and contain ugly truth. In the instructions the reader is asked to take one or more thoughts with them and cherish it.