Guilt Broadsides

I've been working on a series of broadsides based on the ideas that I initially put forth in my thesis project. My thesis project was the result of months of research on the history of marriage in the United States. From that research, I started reflecting on the idea that we generally make decisions about our life based on the people that surround us. Most obvious is the fact that as children we wish to please our parents, guardians, or siblings. But when do we stop trying to please the people in our lives and begin making decisions based on our needs and wants. For some people, me in particular, I couldn't let go of the idea that I needed to please my parents/family. So the decisions I made were based on what I experienced in my upbringing. Raised as a catholic, I had certain ideas about how I should live and what was acceptable. These ideas, of course, were combined and influenced by the opinions and ideas set forth by those I loved (and still love). So what changes cause us, as individuals, to step back and make a drastic change or alter our belief system dramatically? For each of us this is different. For some, we never stop trying to please those around us, and for others, well, they may never have cared what anyone thought to begin with. 
This print is the first is a series. Right now I have two additional prints in progress. This piece is letterpress printed on a Vandercook Proofing Press using wood type and a reduction linoleum block (4 colors). Printed in April of 2015 at the Black Rock Press.