Deep Sea Listening: Oil on Canvas

Psychiatry is a diverse, broad, and expansive field, much like an ocean. For patients with mental disorders, it can be challenging to navigate this "ocean" of information. As psychiatrists, we serve as "ocean guides" or navigators for our patients, but only if they are attuned to listening to the proper information. The practice of focused listening can enable accurate diagnosis and improve patient satisfaction.

In the painting below, I hope to convey the importance of taking time to listen to each patient's story, even in the midst of the chaos of everyday life working in the medical field.

The idea for this painting was inspired by how the anatomy of the cochlea of the inner ear resembles a nautilus seashell. The idea was then expanded to include the surrounding pieces of the ear replaced by other ocean inhabitants. Imagine the semicircular canals as ribbons of seaweed, the sea turtle as the tympanic membrane, the malleus as a piece of coral on the turtle's back, and the dolphin filling in as the incus and stapes.