A colour pencil drawing that shows circle, within which a male figure with a beard wears a front-facing baby carrier that contains a small child. The figure is standing on a grassy hill. To the left and right of the circle, six arrows point towards the man. Each arrow is overlain by a small circular image. The left hand images feature a dollar sign, a first place trophy, and male

gender symbol with a red line drawn across it. The right hand images feature an arm flexing a bicep, a stick figure heterosexual family, and a hammer and wrench.

Artist Statement:

I always feel like this is my happy place. I’m happiest when I’m at home with my kids. So that’s my happy place, but then constantly there’s arrows that are flying at me to make sure that I’m the breadwinner, making sure I’m bringing in enough money to support my family because society has told us that guys are supposed to be the breadwinner, when it’s not necessarily true anymore but it’s constantly, “you need to bring in more money, bring in more money.” I always have to be strong, whether that’s physically but also emotionally. You’re not supposed to show emotions when you’re a guy. You’re supposed to be the rock, right? I wore that mask for a long time where I was the rock, and then I had big, big, big explosions. I ended up being in hospital because I didn’t have a way of expressing myself at all. So I still feel that pressure even though I have no problems saying that when I have a really good ugly, ugly cry, I feel better afterwards. It’s cathartic but I still don’t go there right away, I still put that shield up. So this is my happy place, and I’m trying to get rid of all of the arrows but they’re constantly coming in. I’m very aware that I don’t fit the mold. Before I was always afraid to show that but now, to be honest, I don’t care. I am who I am but it took going to the hospital, and taking art classes for that to come out.