Nile's Obsession

Pen and Ink.

Based on the "Obsessed Artist" archetype, this piece serves as a metaphor of what happens when an artist finds himself overly devoted to his work, only to have very little success and virtually no work done.

Like any artist that obsesses over tending to their work, we get annoyed and easily distracted by virtually the smallest thing that wouldn't typically be such a big nuisance. And oftentimes, this contributes to getting no results whatsoever. Not only that, but it hurts even the people around us and the artist's only answer seems to continue working for hours, or even days at end with very little regard for their own health and the well-being for others.

Take, for instance, the writer in this piece of work (Niles). He sits before his typewriter yet he is turned away, perturbed-looking. Maybe he's frustrated by a noise outdoors, or perhaps he's glaring at a loved one who is only checking up on him because they're worried about his well-being. In any case, it bothers him, and as a result, there's no words typed on his page yet. Yet, he feels heavily obligated--chained, actually--to his work. His shadow, covered in ideas and typos that aren't even written yet, keeps him prisoner at his work station, disallowing the writer to even engage in the idea of taking a break. He will turn around and stare at his paper, eventually, but he'll soon feel frustrated again and look away. Or perhaps he will get some writing done, but it may not be his best work as he obsesses over every small detail during the process instead of approaching holistically.