The Story Behind "Sound Emotion"

Some paintings begin with a place. Others begin with a memory. Sound Emotion began with a feeling.

As an artist, I'm fascinated by the invisible things that shape our lives. Music is one of those forces. It can calm us, energise us, transport us, and connect us to moments long after they've passed. With Sound Emotion, I wanted to explore the relationship between music, emotion, and the experience of navigating the world differently.

The result is a painting that sits somewhere between reality and imagination. A visual representation of sound, emotion, protection, and exploration.

An Explorer in an Unknown World

At the centre of Sound Emotion is a solitary figure wearing a space suit and headphones, drifting through a dreamlike sky of blues, pinks, and swirling clouds.

The imagery is symbolic.

For many people with AuDHD, life can feel like a journey through unfamiliar territory. Every day involves exploring environments, experiences, and social situations that can be exciting, inspiring, overwhelming, and unpredictable all at once.

The astronaut became a natural symbol of that experience.

Astronauts are explorers. They venture into environments that are beautiful, mysterious, and sometimes hostile. In many ways, this mirrors the experience of navigating a world that often feels louder, faster, and more chaotic than it does for others.

The Meaning Behind the Headphones

The headphones are one of the most important elements in the painting.

They represent much more than simply listening to music.

For many neurodivergent people, music can provide structure, regulation, and comfort. It can create order during moments of chaos, offer familiarity during uncertainty, and provide a way to filter out overwhelming sensory input.

The headphones symbolise blocking out the sensory overload of the outside world while tuning into something meaningful.

Music itself is a reflection of life. It contains repetition and unpredictability, order and chaos, tension and release. The same contrasts exist throughout our daily experiences.

In Sound Emotion, the headphones become a tool for navigating that complexity.

The Space Suit and the Mask

The space suit carries its own meaning.

To me, it represents masking.

Masking is often described as the process of adapting behaviours, responses, or expressions to fit expectations and navigate social environments more comfortably. It can feel protective, helping us move through unfamiliar situations while shielding parts of ourselves from judgement or misunderstanding.

Like a space suit, masking can provide protection when entering environments that feel uncertain or overwhelming.

The suit in Sound Emotion isn't intended to represent isolation. Instead, it represents resilience. The ability to continue exploring, creating, connecting, and moving forward despite challenges.

Finding Beauty in the Journey

Although Sound Emotion touches on sensory overload and the need for protection, it is not a painting about struggle.

It's a painting about hope.

The warm light breaking through the sky is intentional. It serves as a reminder that beauty still exists, even when life feels difficult or unpredictable.

There are moments of wonder everywhere around us.

A piece of music that stops us in our tracks.

A sunset that catches our attention.

A conversation that makes us feel understood.

A creative idea that refuses to leave our minds.

These moments make the journey worthwhile.

The sunlight in Sound Emotion symbolises those moments. The reminder that no matter how challenging life becomes, there is always something beautiful waiting to be discovered.

Bringing Sound to Life Through Paint

Sound Emotion was created in oil on canvas, allowing layers of colour and soft transitions to build the atmosphere of the piece.

The flowing hair represents movement and energy, almost as though the music itself is travelling through the figure and into the surrounding space. The deep blue sky creates a sense of depth and possibility, while the softer pink and warm tones introduce balance and humanity.

Rather than creating a realistic scene, I wanted to create an emotional landscape.

A place where sound could be seen.

A place where thoughts, feelings, memories, and music could exist together.

Artwork Details

Title: Sound Emotion
Artist: Steven Worboys (Scuba)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 76 cm × 61 cm
Print Sizes Available: A2 and A4

Final Thoughts

Sound Emotion is ultimately about exploration.

It's about navigating uncertainty, finding comfort in music, protecting ourselves when necessary, and continuing to seek beauty in the world around us.

Whether you connect with the themes of AuDHD, the symbolism of the astronaut, or simply the feeling the artwork evokes, my hope is that the painting creates space for reflection and personal interpretation.

Because the most meaningful art doesn't tell people what to think.

It invites them to discover something of themselves within it.