This illustration is inspired by a student dreamer who felt a heightened sense of confusion and anxiety due to COVID-19 and financial constraints. One aspect of this piece represents the dreamer’s concern of being perceived by others as not following COVID-19 safety measures. As a result, the dreamer felt anxiety of being watched and perhaps judged by others. The second aspect this piece represents is the dreamer’s worry over owing tuition the following year, of a consistent described amount of $8200 that looms over the dreamer’s mind.

This piece was inspired by a dreamer who expressed a feeling of being stuck. The dreamer in particular described a feeling of being pulled between a transient state of life and death. The force of strong tides was pulling the dreamer in either direction. The arms pulling against each other represent the opposing forces of life. The black water that falls off one arm represents the tides of the water that pull the dreamer into death.

In an interview, the dreamer describes that “… perhaps my culture values safety, stability, and so that is why even though I was far from danger, I still wanted to run farther away.” The birds in this dream represent the dreamer and the dreamers’ family members running away from a strange creature to seek refuge. Birds in this case represent the ultimate form of freedom and safety the dreamer and their family manage to achieve.