The Back Story

I was shocked to notice that every single person was on their device. Some were hunched over with unblinking faces almost touching screens; others were with quick fingers on app games or scrolling tik-tok videos. The rest were surfing the news or taking selfies and filtering their photos. 

One thing they all had in common, was how miserable or stressed everyone looked. It was eye-opening to realise how far society has gone with advancements in technology. We're now drowning in the consequences. 

We obsess over image, struggle with identity and a sense of belonging, suffer information overload, have shortening attention spans, are downcast by unrealistic comparisons or fuelled by manufactured desires for things we don’t need. One of the most terrifying aspects is the power that algorithms and news platforms have to influence ideas as well as behaviour. Profit maximising via the use of clickbait and the fear mongering we often see in the media is dangerous. It’s disheartening to learn that depression, loneliness and anxiety are on the rise across all generations. In our urban landscapes, we often get enveloped in the daily grind and are too preoccupied living in the digital realm or within a loop of working and paying bills. 

Later this same day, I gazed at the ground and was pleased to see a plant growing out from a drain grate. Internally, I humanised its perseverance and resilience. How great is nature that plants like this one fight to reclaim land and push to survive despite all the destruction that the human species has inflicted upon them. 

SoXiety is based on the merge of two words—Society and Anxiety—with the capital X representing the individual. The aim of this book is to bring awareness to the impact social media, news platforms and society’s shifts in behaviour—much of it reflecting a lack of consideration for others and a rise in narcissism—has collectively had on us, both on a micro and macro level. It suggests that our species should live in symbiosis with nature rather than just using it to cater to our needs. 

I hope the artwork in SoXiety will evoke emotion, enabling you to connect with the imagery through subjective interpretation, and within it, perhaps recognise some of your personal experiences. By doing so, I hope it helps you disconnect from the digital realm and engage with the physical reality. I encourage you to discuss the themes of SoXiety with friends, family and colleagues, as well as considering them during self-reflection. 

In the Book of Kin collection (in which SoXiety is the first book), each volume covers a separate theme, but the overarching goal is embracing cohesive kinship. The collection’s aim is to discourage division and encourage building community. I strongly believe that humanity is more than power, greed, war, division and self-image or ego preservation.

We have an inherent need for a sense of purpose and of belonging, to feel valued, loved and live with meaning. We are all here for such a short amount of time—no one knows why nor what really happens after death. What a shame it would be to waste those limited days on catastrophising, self-harming and obsessing over things that don’t matter in the grand scheme. What truly matters, is the connection we make in the real world and the things we do or impact we have on others or through the positive work that we do.