What Dreams May Come

About the Work

What Dreams May Come depicts a still, imagined world one shaped not by clarity or resolution, but by emotional weight and quiet longing. Rooted in self-portraiture, the work reflects my desire to escape into a dream space where ambiguity brings comfort and softness is allowed to exist without question. In reality, I often feel the pressure to be certain, to be legible, to be acceptable. But in this world of my own making, I don’t have to be understood to be at peace. This piece speaks to the rejection of conventional expectations of what art should say, how it should look, and what emotions are worthy of being shown. It is a refusal to choose clarity over feeling, and an embrace of what exists between knowing and becoming. Here, stillness is not absence, it is permission to rest, to dream, and to remain undefined.

About the Artist

Ashton Howard is a multidisciplinary artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at Southeastern Louisiana University, where she focuses on painting and printmaking. Her work centers on self-portraiture as a way to navigate identity, vulnerability, and self-perception. Drawing from personal experiences of rejection and self-doubt, Howard’s practice explores what it means to be seen and to see oneself with honesty. Each piece becomes part of a larger journey toward self-acceptance, reflecting both the pain of self-denial and the quiet resilience of becoming. Each piece reflects her ongoing journey of self-discovery and artistic growth. Through her art, Ashton aims to examine, explore, and ultimately define who she is, while seeking a deeper understanding of how she perceives herself and the world around her.