ART: "Social Anxiety is a Drug" by Javier Kinchen, "The Room with the Eye"

A viewers prospective of this art piece motivated me to write this piece. In a quiet corner of a high school gallery, a haunting acrylic painting titled “Social Anxiety is a Drug” demands more than a glance—it demands to be felt. Created by a young artist named Javier Kitchen, the artwork pulls us into a distorted room where nothing feels safe or settled. A lone figure sits curled in the corner, knees tucked, body folded tightly like armor. Above them, an oversized blue eye peers through the wall—a symbol of scrutiny, judgment, or perhaps constant surveillance.

The walls are gray. The shadows are heavy. The eye is always watching.

This is what anxiety looks like to some teens today.

The Story Behind the Canvas

Maybe, a seventeen-year-old student reflects in thispainting during a period when simply walking into a room of peers felt like stepping under a microscope. “I wanted people to see what it feels like—being seen, but not understood,” he says. “Like there’s nowhere to hide.”

For many teens, anxiety isn’t just nerves before a test or butterflies before a first date. It’s an unrelenting, invisible weight—sometimes paralyzing, sometimes sneaky. It can feel like sitting in a room full of furniture,or people and yet feeling completely alone. Like everyone’s watching, even when they aren’t.

Asking the Right Questions

The painting invites us not just to observe, but to engage—to ask better questions. Not just “Are you okay?” but:

• What does anxiety feel like for you?
• When do you feel most overwhelmed?
• Do you have a safe space to talk about what you’re feeling?
• What helps you when you feel stuck?
• Who do you trust when things feel out of control?

Javier’s work isn’t just art—it’s a doorway. A visual language for teens who often don’t have the words. And behind every brushstroke lies a powerful message: even if you feel like you're sitting in the corner of the room, folded into yourself, you are not alone.

Understanding Through Creativity

Teachers, parents, and caregivers need to look closer—not just at grades and attendance, but at the quiet corners where teens may be retreating. Art like this isn’t just an expression; it’s a cry for connection.

In every school, there are students like Javier, who are navigating emotions deeper than most adults realize. What if we gave them more ways to share? What if we sat beside them—not with answers, but with open ears?

Let the Eye in the Wall Remind Us

That anxiety is not a weakness, and being vulnerable is not a flaw. It's time we saw it for what it is—a human experience—and gave our teens the room to talk, express, and heal.

Sometimes, all it takes is asking: "Hey, what's going on inside your room?"

Let’s listen.

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