The season of love is upon us! Who can resist the sweet celebration of relationships and romance - showing you care through ritualistic offerings of roses and chocolate. This Valentine’s Day, I wanted to reflect on not just the heavenly side, but the devishly side of this beloved holiday. After all, we’ve all been pricked by the pointy side of a heart <3

After three straight months of celebrating everything from Halloween to New Year’s Eve, January’s arrival was a welcomed pause in life. As the 2024 cold snap nipped at our noses outside, we welcomed any excuse to stay indoors; cozy and alone. But that gets old (doesn’t it?) and what better way to kick off the next season of celebrations than with the day of love: Valentine’s Day. The shops slowly start showering their aisles with pink hearts and half-naked cupids, and all of a sudden love is in the air (or is it just the smell of overpriced roses sitting next to the cashier?). Nevertheless, I welcomed the inspiration and tackled both sides of the love spectrum - from romantic excitement to naive heartbreak.

In It’s For You, we’re at the former. When I think of the best part of my past relationships, I’m usually transported back to the beginning. The phone rings and I wonder who it is on the other line - could it be for me? During those first few weeks, I’d go from chatting casually to somehow chatting all night. Yes, I know I have work early in the morning, but even at 2 AM I just can’t seem to want this conversation to end. Each minute that passes is like another cupid’s arrow right to the heart and these rose-colored glasses really do make the room look nice. It’s a dizzying state of hope, where the only thing that matters is the voice on the other end of the receiver. You’ll notice that this piece, too, is quite busy; your eye never knowing where to go next. It’s kind of like that new relationship; you don’t know where it’s going to go, but it sure does seem pretty.

Alternatively, sometimes the ring of the phone no longer triggers butterflies and the scent of love in the air makes you want to don your N95. Such is life and love, and no one portrays these waves of affection and affliction better than Raymond Radiguet - in particular, his novel “Devil in the Flesh”. I read the English version of this French classic about a year ago, and was struck by the realism of his tragic love story. Instead of those sweet hours on the phone, my mind was flooded by what usually came next - heartbreak and regret. Those early years of love were embarrassingly naive, and as the quote iterates, even the most mediocre of lovers think they’re doing something profound at the moment. Just as my little strawberries are too green, so is young love - immature and toxic; poisoning those who feast upon them like the puffs of a cigarette. In my uninspiredly titled piece, Devil in the Flesh, I pay homage to this stickier side of the season of love.

Although these two pieces were completed many months apart, I feel as though they go hand in hand.

Together, portraying the inescapable cycle of love and heartbreak.