Lack of sleep

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Why are we awake when everyone else is asleep why do our minds never stop going? Because thats how its always been and thats how its always going to be! I am at war with sleep sometimes it wins battles but I feel all and i win the war. As you lay in bed a million ideas rushing through your head things you want to create things you want to make things that happened things that you want to happen people you love people you miss all these things running through your mind among a million other things you lay there and you close your eyes you toss you turn but your brain doesnt allow your to shut down it does not allow you to sleep you might feel alone in this but trust me you are not this is every night of my life! The day the ideas stop is the day I am dead!

sleep is the enemy

ill sleep when im dead

sleepless

Which of these is you?

If you had to pick one of these to put on your wall?

  • Kitty

    People have such a strange concept of when sleep should happen.

    Maybe, if there weren’t so many conventions about sleep, maybe we could sleep easier?

  • http://www.twitter.com/lovesimoncurtis casandra collier aka lovesimoncurtis on twitter

    I like staying up late because its the only time for myself lol noone is around to bother me and I like it that way!

  • http://rdg1983.livejournal.com/ Rebekah

    First one! Please, don’t let me be the first to comment, please! But anyway, the first one, because I swear to god, I’ve had that thought many a time, usually when I’m way too into a story I’m writing, or a book I’m reading, or a painting I have to finish, a piece of jewelry I have to finish, or a photo I’m editing. It’s insanity, but a healthy insanity, because it doesn’t hurt anyone except your self, and something good usually comes out of all that earnest, sometimes creative, sleeplessness. But then there are the times when the creative urge is silent, and you’re just stuck with all the negative feelings, thoughts and memories, and nothing can drown it out except the perfectness of sleep.

    How come you seldom use punctuation marks in your posts?

  • April

    I’m the second and last one. It’s almost 5am and I’m not asleep.

  • http://www.Twitter.com Mallory

    I would have to chose the last one Sleepless. I can’t seem to sleep at all anymore! I go to bed around 3 am and then wake up about 7 am– with fitfull sleep during those hour b/c of crazy dreams or thoughts going through my head! I do love staying up late b/c I have time by myself and am usually uninterrupted so I usually read or watch tv! Love your artwork! I inspire to be a photographer like you someday. It has been a passion of mine for some time now!

  • http://www.musicalmindcontrol.com Arif

    I seem to have a lifelong aversion to sleep. When I was a kid I used to only sleep about 2-4 hours a night – which was a source of considerable worry for my parents. I now sleep about 4 hours – Maybe once a week I can get a full nights sleep – 8 hours or so but on those days I tend to feel more tired and sluggish. It seems I never got over that childish thing about not wanting to go to bed. I just don’t enjoy sleeping. It seems that I’m at my most awake and alert at 3-4. It can feel like quite a lonely time because everyone else is asleep but it’s also when I get my best ideas.

    I used to worry about it a lot, wondering if I was damaging myself but since studying this, it just seems that different people have different sleep requirements. We all have different body clocks and some people are night owls while others are larks. We just have to accept it and be glad for the extra time.

  • DinoT

    definitely the third one.

    wish i could sleep more!

    torture:(

  • DinoT

    the second my head hits the pillow, my mind races. does not let me go!!! can take me 5 hours to fall asleep.

  • Megan

    Sorry Tyler, none of these pertain to me, I don’t have any problem sleeping, although I do go to bed too late..Sleep is my friend.

  • meg

    im sleepless…..can take anywhere from and hour to never to fall alseep, i once did not sleep for 3 striaght weeks, not counting micrco, no it was not intentional , it was a adverse reation to a med to help me sleep ironically. freaked my mom out espeally whem i started to play pranks cause i was bored. the scifi channel also had the only interesting movies and was the only channel not to repeat every 3 days

  • leyla

    ‘i’ll sleep when i’m dead’

    the most powerful quote ever.

  • Donny

    I sleep when I’m bored. I’ve been bored a lot lately.

  • frank

    None of these is me, I sleep everyday and enjoy it thoroughly. Its a natural part of life, and an important one at that. I love dreaming while I sleep, and then turning those dreams into reality when I awake. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

  • Oscar

    Some nights I stay up till 7 in the morning, when everyone else has been passed out for hours. Others I go t o bed at 3. Depends on the day I’ve had I suppose. I like the bottom pic the best, blood and feathers are a good combo. Makes me want chicken.

  • alison

    I love sleeping, I think my brain works harder when I’m dreaming and processing information than it does when I’m awake. I’m pretty sure the only time your brain is “turned off” is when you die. I could be wrong about that. I guess comas are another example.

  • Lacy

    I’ve been having trouble sleeping my whole life. I hate it. I lose weight, my body feels weaker than it should, I have no appetite, my muscles (my back in particular) are always aching. When the body can’t heal itself bad things happen. I also tend to forget things. I’ll repeat the same questions, or have the same conversation over and over again. It gets really annoying to my friends, but they accept me for me. I would love to have the second pic, seems like it applies to me the most.

  • amy

    I think it’s hilarious that you view sleep as an enemy that you are at war with. If I could I would never sleep. But alas, nature always wins.

  • Matt

    I sleep when I’m tired. I eat when I’m hungry. I create when I’m inspired. Obviously if I’m in the middle of working on something I’m not going to stop until I’m finished with the project. I often view slumber as my reward for a hard days work.

  • Agyness

    I’m sleepless because bedtime means memories of my old home and friends. Memories that are painful. I try to stay awake and distracted so I don’t have to go through the hurt.

  • Kirsten

    You’re such an outlaw, just living life by your own rules, I love it. It’s like my favorite thing about you. I want all of these on my wall, so when i see them I remember the sleepless genius that is Tyler Shields.

  • brian

    Fuck sleep, let’s dance.

  • angie

    I’m with Brian, sleeping is for losers that don’t have anything better to do. I just wanna live it up at all times! I’ll sleep when I’m old and gray.

  • Kelci

    I’d say for a college student the first photo is very very relevant! SLEEP IS DEFINITELY THE ENEMY!! THERS TOO MUCH TO DO. Places to go, and work and everything else. never say you’ll just rest your eyes for a moment…then sleep will get you and its 5 min before class and that essay your doing SCREWED! ALL the pictures are amazing though.

  • jason

    i think you’re lack of desire from sleep may be direct result from your profession. I don’t know what kind of physicality is involved in photography, but I have a feeling that if you were working construction 5 days a week you may have a different opinion on the values of sleep. I could be wrong. Fortunately for us you make these amazing pieces of art that we can all see and comment on. I like the bottom pic the best, so raw, so powerful.

  • Shalow

    Hello,

    Nice Series, I love them.

    Keep it going mate !

  • ashley dawn

    I would rather do my sleeping during the day, not that I hate sun or anything. I just prefer the night, it’s a shame to sleep through it.

  • tyler

    @ashleydawn the night time is amazing

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  • http://twitter.com/quixoticMoon quixoticMoon

    This is almost the very definition of my moniker. My best sketches and projects have always been done in the dead of night. But, I would say that I’m “Sleepless” since I do enjoy resting whenever I can. But I’d prefer to have the second picture on my wall.

  • Olayinka

    I would definitely pick “Sleepless” I like this series a whole lot! I’m at a play right now that actually has to beds(Mattresses) as part of it’s stage props! Trust me, people feel this all the time!

  • http://scottclarkeartworks.com/ zollster

    the 1st and 2nd, theres far too many things i could be doin instead of sleeping

  • angelina

    The middle one, i dont like going to sleep! i spend most of the night painting my walls and reading books. its far more enjoyable than doing NOTHING for eight hours!

  • Lisa M

    Sometimes, I wish we love reversed, sleep by day, play by night. Ah, to be a vampire.

    I find it odd that while watching TV, I can nod off easily, but turn it off and go to bed, I’m fast awake. What does that say about TV?

  • Lisa M

    Darn it! I meant to say I wished we lived reversed. And I’m sure many peeps do.

  • Elliot

    Deff the first one i fall asleep then i wake up and im like shoot why in hell did i go to bed im so stupid

  • Erin Navy Red

    The Sleepless bloody pillow would be my pic.

  • Jessie

    I would have to say the first photo because I sleep too much. It’s my vice. Some people drink, some people do drugs, etc., etc. I sleep. It’s pathetic, really. I hate it.

  • http://twitter.com/Nom13 Brittany Jones

    I would have to choose “Sleepless” I should have that stamped on my back! It embodies every fraking night of my life, luckily I can do some serious study/work. While everyone else is sleeping I am getting things done. It also gives me a chance to rearrange my furniture which keeps the engergy in my home buzzing!

  • JayTravis

    I agree that being asleep is the enemy, but not in the sense of beds and REM dreaming…

  • Poesie

    “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” truly depicts my sleeping habits. They say life is short and I feel it can be extended if we use most of the hours in a day to be awake and socialize or work. The more you sleep the faster life is taken away from you!

    I’d also put the second one on my wall.

  • Katy

    I’m definitely sleepless. Time to break out the coffee and cigarettes and start working. Insomnia temporarily cures my procrastination problem. I totally want to go rip up my pillow and smother it in ketchup now though, you’re a bad influence Mr Shields.

  • Gina

    Sleep is the enemy when I’m vulnerable, through dreams, to whatever ecompasses the very place in my mind that I dare not venture when I’m awake, and alert to my own senses.