Work, Smoke, Work, Smoke, etc. (Flight)

Acrylic, house paint, and salvaged wood on found display case, 22” x 12” x 2”

Before the development of our cortex, when we were activated into “flight” mode, we would physically flee from an immediate threat of death, such as being eaten by a predator. Because many of our modern stresses will not go away (or even get worse) if we literally flee a scene, modern flight types often “symbolically” flee via substance or via workaholism/busyism. If you know anyone who says they have “an addictive personality,” there is a decent chance they are a flight type, always looking for symbolic or chemical avenues of escape. Nicotine can be an especially appealing symbolic flight avenue for this form of flight type because it both provides a chemical form of symbolic flight AND it acts as a stimulant that further allows the individual to continue working/staying busy for a more extended time.