Artwork Description
Swoon – Oracle Deck: Jimmy Bob Little-The Bully
Dimensions: 17 x 11″
Year: 2024
Medium: archival digital print on Moab Entrada 300 gsm
Edition: ed. 1/20
This card is about one of the yuckier sides of human nature. Jimmy Bob Little and his gang were always mooching around the neighborhood trying to push the other kids around, and while Bell wasn’t afraid of them, Caelum always did her best to steer clear.
In a culture which demands that someone be on top, where we easily come to believe that we can hide our insecurities by burying them under someone else’s humiliation, the bully is always gonna emerge. So too within our minds. Have you ever called yourself names and berated yourself for making a mistake or not living up to an expectation? That’s the bully emerging from within.
The internal protector gone awry. The philosophy of Nonviolent Communication suggests that no matter what action someone is taking, even an awful deed like beating up on a weaker person, they are always trying to meet an essential human need they’re just going about it in a very destructive way.
Often the bully in the outside world wants safety and validation, but instead of cultivating it through good will and kindness, they’ve come to believe that they have to take it through domination.
Within the psyche our lil’ bully might be terrified of what will happen if we’re not perfect, and may desire nothing more than to protect us from repeating our mistakes. So, is there a bully in your life that you can understand compassionately, while also standing up to them? Is there a bully in your psyche that might just need your help finding a way to feel safe?
–Swoon