Objects and symbolic meaning

1. Fall leaves
a. represent the possibility of giving new life, of working in a new spiritual growth.
b. Change ( bodies, minds, and surroundings)
c. Balance( harmony with earth)
d. Cycle of life( something is about to an end and something new will begin)
e. Shedding oneself from old thoughts or memories that are weighing on you
Being that my name is Autumn I wanted to physically have a representation of myself while also
showing my favorite season in which I was born. I believe the leaves really show how I am trying
to change myself as an artist while also showing the change of environment I experienced while
coming to college
2. Bonnet
a. Intentionally avoiding feelings of desire
b. Purposely hiding or holding yourself back from romantic feelings
My bonnet is a piece of me and has been a piece of who I am since I was a little girl. Before I lay
my head down for bed I have to put my bonnet ( headscarf) on to protect my hair and in a way
protect the image of who I am as a person. It is like a sense of security when I wear my bonnet
and a connection to my roots that allow for me to feel as one with the black community when I do
not feel like I belong sometimes.
3. Mason Jar/ Tin Can
a. J: open and on its side you are free of anything
b. J: easy to get out of a sticky situation
c. J: confinement in regards to emotions; bottling up emotions
d. T: open can shows opportunity and the ability to share with others
e. T: Message for a situation you are refusing to see
f. T: lot of stress and tension around you
I feel as though I tend to move freely without worrying about the way people think of me. I am
more than happy to tell someone if I do not like them or if they are bothering me because I refuse
to let someone stress me out and ruin the mood I am in
4. Lipstick tubes
a. Attention seeking for passion
b. Lies, deception, half truths
c. Outdo or outperform others
d. superiority
I have noticed while being in Art School I am trying to prove myself and feel validation for my
work. I believe this is because I failed my Ap exam and it really made question whether or not I
should really be an art major. The tubes of lipstick are also the only makeup I wear on my face,
so in a way it could be me seeking attention; for the most when I wear the lipstick it is because I
have on an attention seeking outfit that I want people to look at.
5. Jewelry box- necklace and other jewels hanging from in it
a. Prosperous future and success
b. self -worth and image/ personal value
c. Something or someone that is considered preciou and valuable
d. Psychological and spiritual wealth
e. Desires and goals in life
f. Hiding something inside yourself
 i.Protecting yourself from someone
ii.Secrets
Jewelry is an important part of my life. It is to the point that I cannot leave the room without
wearing 3 rings and necklaces; I just feel naked without adoring my body with the pieces of
silver or gold. I also can see the symbolic meaning for me grabbing my jewelry because it was
all gifts from my parents. It is in a way me holding on to my parents close while I navigate
throughout life. It is common for people to think I am a little wealthy even though I really am not
it just appears so due to how I carry myself. My jewelry also tends to be shiny and really nice
meaning that for me I want a future that is nice and full of luxury, but I do not want to have too
much money, I would just like to be comfortable.
6. Tampon
a. Solution to a nagging problem
b. Absorbing tension and worry
c. Relaxation and release of stress
d. Filter energy
As a woman I am forced to bleed every month and deal with cramps and mood swings while still
being able to manage in society without any flaws. This is hard for me being that I am not perfect
and tend to wear my emotions and feelings on my sleeves. In a way the tampon is absorbing all
of my energy and draining me mentally and emotionally, but on the other hand when it is on, I
feel a sense of relaxation and relief to know that all my parts are still working and I am not
going to have a baby for any freak reasons.
7. Birth Control
a. Nurturing
b. Shy about revealing true thoughts and feelings
c. Repressing your creativity
d. Protection from emotions
Also as a woman I am tasked with making sure I prevent having a child at any cost, but not only
is it protecting me from the emotional trauma of having a child it is giving me hormones that I
originally lack. In a way it is making me more of a woman and even opening me up to new
feelings that I did not know I was capable of having.
8. Paint brushes
a. Self care
b. Happiness, creative accomplishment, joy, talents
c. Financial and emotional success
d. Tired, chaos, overwhelming
e. Fall into trouble due to careless and reckless statements about a colleague
As an artist I found myself using a paint brush almost everyday of the week for the first semester
of college. Painting was once a sense of relaxation and made me feel as though I can create
anything I put my mind to, but after this semester I am starting to think about it differently. A
paint brush has caused me so much pain, stress, and lack of sleep. It really shook me to my core
to see something that once gave me peace and joy turn into something that cause havoc in my
life.
9. Paint tubes (yellow tube, red, orange, white black)
a. Red: need for passion
b. White: relax and recuperate
c. Orange: review life, identity, appearance.
 i.Start a new project
ii.Willing to remove everything that is annoying you
d. Yellow: happiness and achievement in life
.Spiritual development
1. Stability-Muladhara chakra
e. Black: mystery, danger, death, emptiness, hatred, vendetta, lack of sensitivity
.Deep depression, lack of love, energy, or forming bonds
i.Hidden potential- power of the unknown
To go with the paint brush there was paint. This paint has stained not only my love for painting
but most of my clothes. I find myself randomly seeing specks of paint on my skin and stuck under
my nails. I decided to have these different colors of paint, because they are the ones that I tend to
flock to and feel a close bond with. Especially the yellow paint. In life I am trying to become
better spiritually so that I can feel better about my life emotionally.
10. Pencils
a. New achievements and discoveries
b. create your own destiny and happiness
c. Improvement of work and produce more artworks
d. Correct choice of life
e. Communicate with others to get your goals
All of my first semester I have pulled the most all nighter and lacked the most amount of sleep all
due to a single stick of graphite. These sticks of graphite though caused me pain and depression
were my areas of biggest improvements. I have achieved so much in my drawing class that I was
not able to achieve in all four years of my highschool career. The intensity and sure happiness I
felt from completing a work with my pencils made me want to create more work and continue to
improve on my craft.
11. Open wallet
a. Poor life and disappointment
b. self identity, personal belief and thoughts
c. Emotional void or inner emptiness
d. Financial worry
I am currently poor. I owe money I have no idea how I am going to pay, and it scares me. For
money to be the most important thing in this world it is amazing how fast it can leave our
possessions. In the future I do not want my family to worry about anything money wise and I
refuse to have a large sum of student loans when I get out. As of right now my money is looking
funny and I am in a way empty. I have led this lifestyle of simple luxury when I was able to work
and have a steady flow into my account. Now I am without a job and my account is draining
slowly before my eyes.
12. Bra
a. Protect yourself from getting hurt in a situation
b. Don't feel secure
c. Trying to feel safe
d. Emotional uplift
e. Mother or protect someone in your life
f. Lack discipline and control
I despise wearing bras with a passion, because not only do I see no point in it wearing one I also
think the woman’s body should not be contained but celebrated. As a woman I express this by
embracing everything my body has to offer. Bras to me are like a cage and keep the beauty of
women hidden and I cannot get behind it. It can also show that I lack discipline and control
because I do not let a piece of fabric and wire constrict the way I move or operate. I do in a way
rebel against the social norms and standards of society by not wearing my bra, it does make me
feel a sense of power and uplifts my spirits when I fight a tiny battle.
13. Sunflowers
a. Prosperity , long healthy life, success, heading in the right direction
b. Birth of new ideas
c. Reveal hidden abilities
d. Adoration and loyalty
e. Vitality, intelligence, happiness, friendship
As the free spirit I am sunflowers call to me. Their bright and big personalities connect with me
on a deeper level. Like the sunflower I am a ball of happiness and a fierce loyal friend to the
people I adore. I think the symbolic meaning of new ideas is something I can vibe with heavy and
might be another reason why this flower is so appealing to me visually. Just the sheer thought of
a sunflower brings a smile to my face, and makes me enjoy the fruits of life. At the beginning of
the semester I really pondered if I was in the right field or if I belonged on the path I was taking,
and everytime these thoughts would flood my mind I would always stumble upon a sunflower on
my instagram feed, in the store, or just near me. The more that I think about it; it was truly a sign
that I have been moving in the right path and that I should continue making the strives that I
started.
14. Nair
a. Change of image and the persona you believe on the inside
b. Do not deceive yourself
c. Avoid becoming weak
d. Make a good business plan, but currently lacking the right energy to bring it to
completion
I do not like to shave my legs for the most part and when I do it is for something really
important. I never do it for a man or someone I am interested in due to the fact that if you cannot
love my leg hair you do not deserve me without it. I think this is another form of me wanting to
rebel against the social norms and path a different life for myself where I can feel whole and
powerful in my own way. The bullet about lacking the energy for a business plan really makes
me wonder. I do not shave not only for the mini rebellion but also because I am extremely lazy
and do not feel like keeping up with the maintenance. There is something therapeutic about
allowing for my leg hair to grow out and when I feel like it regrouping by shaving it all then
starting my rebellion all over again. I also feel that my lack of shaving is me not backing down
or being weak to the standards of beauty, but showing my own form of natural beauty.