"Arrows" – Illustration & Song

A soul-leaning folk-pop single paired with original illustrated cover art, exploring unrequited love, emotional distance, and cyclical heartbreak.

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This project was created to reflect the quiet ache of loving someone who cannot meet you with the same emotional intimacy. Both the song and its visual identity center on themes of longing and the unresolved tension between romantic attachment and emotional unavailability.

The cover art illustration, rendered digitally in Photoshop, features a portrait of a buck in sepia and raw sienna tones with subtle violet and tan accents. A faint Midwestern woodland landscape rests in the background, evoking memory, stillness, and distance. The imagery emphasizes vulnerability and endurance, mirroring the song’s bittersweet, reflective tone.

Written in the third person, the song follows a protagonist confronting unresolved feelings when a former friend reaches out seeking flirtation and physical connection. As the lyrics unfold, the imbalance between romantic longing and emotional distance becomes clear, revealing a recurring pattern of temporary intimacy and avoidance of commitment. The chorus returns to the cyclical pain of heartbreak—grieving the loss of a meaningful connection while reckoning with the quiet shame of loving more deeply than the other person could.

Musically, the track draws from folk and Americana traditions, built around acoustic guitar and a studio-recorded drum kit. Influenced by artists such as Hozier, Maggie Rogers, Noah Kahan, and Fleetwood Mac, the arrangement emphasizes nostalgia, restraint, and emotional honesty.