This one came out of me in a storm. Not because I was angry, but because I was ready. Ready to look at the parts of myself I usually try to dodge. The stuff that doesn’t show up in selfies or small talk. The stuff we carry—quiet, but heavy.

It’s called “Demon” but not because it’s evil. It’s called that because it’s real. And we all have one. Some of us have whole squads. Fear, jealousy, addiction, insecurity, guilt, shame, rage… you name it. They hide in the corners of our personality, shape-shift into excuses, whisper to us when we’re vulnerable. And most people spend their whole life trying not to make eye contact with them.

But here’s what I’ve learned:
You can’t outrun your demons. You have to face them.
And when you finally do, you realize… they were never as big as you made them.

This painting is about confrontation. About pulling those swirling, chaotic, messy parts of yourself up to the surface and saying, “Alright. I see you. Let’s talk.” It’s not easy. It’s not pretty. But it’s freeing.

The demon doesn’t want your soul. It wants your attention.
And when you stop fighting it, when you look it in the face without flinching, something wild happens: it starts to dissolve.
What you thought was a monster was just pain that never got a voice.
And when pain is heard—it softens.

Freedom lives on the other side of fear.
It’s waiting. But you gotta go through the fire to get to it.
Not around. Not under. Through.

So if you’re looking at this piece and it stirs something in you, good. That means you’re ready.
Grab your flashlight. Go meet your shadows.

-N Mokashi
MokashiArt.com