« Outsider » Original Oil Painting

«Outsider»

Feeling like an outsider who never belonged can feel like standing just beyond the warmth of a room, watching life unfold through a window you can’t seem to step through. It’s a sense of being present but not truly seen or understood—like you exist in the same space as others, yet remain fundamentally separate.

There’s often a quiet ache that comes with it, a longing to connect but feeling like no place, no group, or no moment has ever truly fit. It can feel like carrying a secret weight, one that others might not notice but you feel deeply in the way you navigate the world—always observing, always adapting, but never quite settling in.

It can bring a mix of loneliness and resilience. Loneliness, because the lack of belonging can feel isolating, as if you’re drifting through life without an anchor. Resilience, because learning to exist outside of the expected molds often forces a deeper understanding of oneself and an appreciation for solitude.

Sometimes, it feels like being a puzzle piece cut from a different pattern; searching for a place to fit, only to realize that your edges were never meant to conform to the picture in front of you. And while this can bring sadness, it can also lead to a quiet strength—an understanding that not belonging in the traditional sense doesn’t mean you are lost, but rather that you are carving out a space that is uniquely yours.

Details:
    •    Medium: Oil on canvas
    •    Dimensions: 16”x20”
    •    Year: 2023