"Fears and Phobias: A Graphite Series" by Maya Garlick

Fears and Phobias: A Graphite Series

Maya Garlick, Albertus Magnus College

Artist Statement: "Fears and Phobias: A Graphite Series" is a nineteen-piece collection of drawings that depicts common phobias, a shared experience for people worldwide. Each drawing, a labor of love, took about five hours to plan, sketch, and create. As someone who suffers from severe anxiety, I often find myself seeing the world through a lens of fear. This series aims to demonstrate that fear is a universal experience, present in everything from stepping outside your house to the haunted doll you found in your grandmother's attic. The artwork is arranged to prepare your mind to analyze the details within the phobias you are about to see.

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Coulrophobia–Fear of Clowns

The fear of clowns, known as coulrophobia, is surprisingly common. This drawing vividly captures Art the Clown from the movie "Terrifier." He locks eyes with the viewer, his smile and wave seemingly friendly, yet his eyes betray a different story. They are haunting, and his teeth, stained and rotted, add to the unsettling image. Art the Clown is the embodiment of the nightmare-inducing clown that haunts both children and adults. Those who fear clowns will go to great lengths to avoid them, be it at a birthday party or on Halloween night. This Clown is no different. He gazes deeply into the eyes of the viewer, a gaze that seems to linger. He's looking at you. He's waiting for you. 

Inspired by a theatrical release poster for Terrifier: Terrifier. Directed by Damien Leone, performances by Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, Catherine Corcoran, and David Howard Thornton, Dread Central Presents, 2016.

Arachnophobia–Fear of Spiders

This drawing depicts a spider crawling into a girl's ear. People who fear spiders, bugs, and insects do not like seeing or touching them. When you imagine a bug crawling up your neck, it gives you a shivering sensation. This is why I drew the spider crawling into someone's ear. You can not see your ear, so when you feel something itching or a crawling sensation there, you might think there is a bug crawling around in there. This is very similar to the fear of sleeping with your mouth open, as many people believe that if you sleep with an open mouth, a bug will crawl in without you knowing. You'll never know if you've swallowed a small spider in your sleep. But statistically, you have. 

Iatrophobia–Fear of Doctors

This piece depicts a doctor in latex gloves drawing medicine from a vial into a syringe. Fear of doctors is quite common, whether it be because of needles, past medical trauma, or a fear of what could happen if something goes wrong. It's important to acknowledge that past medical trauma can play a significant role in developing this fear. Many people who face this phobia may have it rooted in the fear of the needle, the fear of the pain, or the fear of the doctor behind it all. 

Germaphobia–Fear of Germs

This drawing depicts a girl wearing a medical mask. She is holding Clorox and hand sanitizer, two items that Germophobes often stock up on. Germaphobes are afraid of germs and illness, so this girl is wearing a mask and holding sanitizing products to prevent herself from getting sick. Her eyes are tired, as constantly cleaning and worrying about her health exhausts her. This phobia often goes hand in hand with Hypochondria, which is a disorder where people make themselves believe that they are sick. The combination is debilitating, and this picture is meant to show the exhaustion and anxiety that someone with this disorder can face. The constant cleaning, disinfecting, and fear of being sick are killing her faster than the germs on her groceries will.

Gerascophobia–Fear of Aging

This piece depicts a woman with heavy amounts of plastic surgery, making her look cartoonish. Gerasaphobia is commonly found in older women who try to conceal any signs of aging. They use makeup and plastic surgery to make themselves look younger, but they usually take it a step too far, and they look like a botched cartoon character. This is also seen in men going through a "mid-life crisis" who get back into physical activities, dye their hair, and drain their money on a sports car to impress younger women. This woman has plastic surgery markings drawn on her face, cartoonish features, and sagging skin on her neck. She has been poked, injected, cut into, and changed beyond recognition, all with the hope of turning back the clock. 

Aerophobia–Fear of Flying

This drawing depicts an airplane with a malfunctioning engine spewing black smoke into the sky. Many people who use airplanes as a form of transportation have Aerophobia. This fear can cause individuals to avoid taking planes or resort to medicating themselves when they have to. As the smoke billows out of the left engine, the plane bobs up and down over turbulence, and the passengers inside grip the armrests of their seats. They look to the flight attendants for reassurance, but fear fills their hearts as the moment they trained for arrives. I bet a bottle of Xanax seems incredible now, doesn’t it? 

Nyctophobia–Fear of the Dark

This piece depicts a young girl holding herself in the darkness. She is clutching a flashlight to her body and looking towards the light to find a sense of safety within it. The harsh black lines around her symbolize the fear of what could be lurking nearby — a dark energy or monsters that a young child would fear. This phobia very often affects children and young adults and is mainly about what lurks in the dark. For children, it is a fear of the monsters that lurk in the shadows. For adults, it may be a fear of the people who lurk in the dark. This fear, while common in young children, is also common in women. While children fear the imaginary monsters that hide in the dark, the adults who face this phobia fear the real-life monsters that hide in the darkness—the animals, both metaphorically and literally. 

Thanatophobia–Fear of Death

This drawing depicts the corpse of a woman who is being prepped for burial. Her eyes have begun to decompose, her teeth have rotted, and she has autopsy incisions on her chest. The fear of death is pervasive, and it can entail a few different things. For spiritual people, it can be a fear of what comes after death, whether it be heaven, hell, or nothing at all. Where your soul will go once this vessel of skin and bone has taken its last breath. For others, it can be a fear of what will happen to your body—decomposition, cremation, or the worms that will find their way into your casket. Or the incinerator, your body will meet as it burns to ash. Once you die, your body is no longer your own. What will you become?

Spectrophobia–Fear of Mirrors

This piece depicts a naked woman holding a broken mirror over her face. Fear of mirrors is widespread in women and commonly comes from a deep insecurity about their bodies. It is not a fear of the mirror but of the body looking back at you. This is what the woman in the picture is suffering from. The reflective part of the mirror is facing away from her, which suggests that she is too afraid to look at herself in it. It’s broken, like her confidence. Her body, though, is normal. No scars, stretch marks, or anything concerning. This means that the fear comes from something within her mind: insecurity, trauma, or self-hatred. The little things that we as women fixate on. Our muffin tops and the acne on our arms become the center of attention as we stand in front of the mirror every morning. We’d rather break the mirror and suffer the 7 years of bad luck than look at the bodies that carry us through life. 

Cynophobia–Fear of Dogs

This drawing depicts a breed of dog that is usually seen as scary. That is because Dobermans are aggressive and are generally used as guard dogs. However, dogs are not bred to be scary; they are raised to be scary. Personally, I think this dog is beautiful. To someone who has trauma surrounding dogs, this picture is unsettling. However, dogs typically can be raised to be kind, nurturing, and loving. People who have a fear of dogs usually have some trauma related to dogs, being attacked, or having a family member who was attacked. The animals we bring into our homes are just that: animals. They are not human; they can not speak. So instead, they bite and scratch. They draw blood, they create scars, they rip out limbs and hair as we scream and fight back. But alas, an animal doesn't always know the difference between right and wrong on a human's moral compass. They just want to survive, even if you are standing in their way.

Musophobia–Fear of Mice

This piece depicts a mouse, a piece of cheese, and a mouse trap. This is a very face-value piece, but it is meant to be unsettling to someone with a fear of mice. Fear of mice and rats is widespread, affecting both men and women equally. An experience does not usually trigger this, but having rodents in your home is very uncomfortable. The backpack your child never cleaned out after the last day of school is the prime target for rodents. They can find a hiding spot in any nook and cranny. They’ll live in your garage, the back of your closet, or inside the boots you put away for next winter.

Tokophobia–Fear of Pregnancy

This drawing depicts a pregnant woman clutching her stomach close to her, holding it up towards her heart. Fear of pregnancy is widespread among women. Pregnancy is a terrifying experience for many people. You carry a life inside your body, and almost everything you do affects your baby. Some people also just are not ready to have a child, which creates a lot of fear that then surrounds the pregnancy. Sometimes, the fear can come from being in a state or territory that has an abortion ban. Other times, it can be from the idea that pregnancy is dangerous. The baby can come prematurely, you can get sick, the baby can get sick, you both can die, your partner can leave you, and more. This fear sometimes forces women to take precautions to prevent themselves from getting pregnant. But birth control does not always work. Sometimes abortions fail. Or you could do everything right, actually, to have a child, and you could fall down the stairs and kill the baby. If you have a preexisting condition, you could die during childbirth or pass the condition down to your child. Their little bones could be breaking in your womb, or their limbs could be underdeveloped. Pregnancy, like life itself, is wildly unpredictable.

Thalassophobia–Fear of Drowning

This piece depicts a small child drowning in a swimming pool. This fear is common among some children, but more so among parents. Parents will be terrified to let their children go swimming for fear that they will drown. That is why this drawing depicts a child drowning, because it is every parent's worst nightmare. Many parents enroll their children in swimming lessons at a very early age, so that if they ever fall into a pool, they can swim and not drown. I believe deeply in signs, and I know that fear of drowning is pervasive. This drawing ripped as I took it out of my sketchbook, which made me feel unsettled when I looked at it. It felt as if the child was trying to escape. Like they knew the ending that was created for them would be painful. The water would burn as it filled their lungs, and the fear of death would overcome them as they struggled to stay afloat. 

Inspired by a photograph from the “Karns & Karns” article on drowning cases and California water safety laws: Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys. “Drowning Cases and How California Is Changing Safety Laws.” Karns & Karns, 2025, https://www.karnsandkarns.com/drowning-cases-and-how-california-is-changing-safety-laws/

Pediophobia–Fear of Dolls

This piece depicts an antique porcelain doll. Many people fear dolls, and it is not confined to one gender or age. This may come from the fear that antique dolls are possessed by the spirits of the people who once owned them. Sometimes, they are dirty and cracked, which adds to the creepiness. This doll is very typical, in a pretty dress and hat. But any antique doll could have the spirit of an owner attached to it. A little girl who died in a house fire clutching the doll, or an old woman who kept that doll from her childhood. Just because the doll ended up in your hands doesn’t mean she was meant to be yours. But don’t worry, she’ll let you know if she’s angry with you; you just might not live to tell the tale. The next house on fire may be yours. 

Agoraphobia–Fear of Public Spaces and Crowds

This drawing depicts a woman sitting in front of a locked door. Lightly sketched buildings surround her. However, these buildings are just in her mind. The fear of what can happen in a crowded place keeps her from leaving. That is why she is surrounded by garbage, Amazon boxes, and takeout menus taped to the walls. Her home is her only safe place. This fear is common in women and can come from a traumatic experience, such as being a victim in a mass shooting, or a fear of the unknown. This character sits by her door, plagued by the fact that she can not go outside. Nothing is keeping her in; in fact, the locks are keeping the world out. The world is unpredictable, dirty, and cruel. The public places that may fall victim to a mass shooting, or the car ride to the store, could result in a car accident. In her case, home is the only safe place. The environment that she created and controls. But will any place ever truly be that perfectly safe bubble?

Somniphobia–Fear of Sleep

This drawing depicts a girl clutching her bedsheets in fear as demons surround her. The fear of sleep can stem from various sources. One can have a fear of nightmares and sleep paralysis demons, which is what this picture shows. She is terrified of the demon coming out of her, which shows that the demon is only real to her. Her bedsheets are messed up, and the pillows are thrown about everywhere. The place where people usually find solace in an alternate, safe world is a place where some people feel nothing but terror. She is drenched in sweat, her hair curled and messy from the fear of her dream. Her dream world is not her happy place; it’s the place she avoids going, a place she refuses to confront. It’s truly her nightmare. 

Claustrophobia–Fear of Tight Spaces

The piece depicts a girl contorting her body to fit within a long, narrow crawlspace. Many people experience claustrophobia in elevators or in excessively tight and narrow spaces. Maybe it’s the fear of being thrown into the back of a van on your walk home, getting into a car crash with the only way out being the jaws of life, or just getting onto an elevator. The inspiration for this piece came from Auschwitz, the concentration camp in Poland. The Nazis built standing cells in the basement of some of the barracks, which were used as punishment for the prisoners. They would crawl on their hands and knees through a small door and into a cell that was about 1 square meter. They would then be forced to stand there all night. Sometimes as many as 4 prisoners would be moved into the cells, forced to breathe, sweat, and soil themselves while being pressed up against other prisoners in a dark, tight, hot space for the entire night. Some wouldn’t live through the night. Your clothes are the only thing separating you from the dead body leaning on you for the next 7 hours. 

Acrophobia–Fear of Heights

This drawing depicts a girl ziplining over a forest. She is not flailing, falling, or panicking. But as she continues to make her way down the zip line, the harness noticeably loosens. The straps, used for customer after customer every day, have worn down over time. The buckles aren’t as strong as they used to be. As she gains speed, the buckle finally gives, opening underneath her. She clings to the handlebars, but her arms quickly tire as the zip line keeps her moving faster and faster. Her palms make the bars slick, her legs flail in hopes of finding a foothold. But she can’t hang on much longer. Could you? 

Atychiphobia–Fear of Failure

This piece depicts a girl curled up into a ball and crying. She has a small phrase under her that says, "But I'm trying my best." She is surrounded by cruel words that tell her she is a failure and will never be good enough. These can be words from an outside source or from within her mind. Either way, she is being punished. This fear usually comes from outside pressure, most often from parents. They want you to succeed, go to college, and get a good job, but they attempt to motivate you through punishment. This approach doesn't work; instead, it instills fear in the individual. This is common among teenagers who believe their whole life rests on the outcome of one test, but also among adults with high-power jobs. 

As I created this entire portfolio, these words filled my head. I questioned the worth of my ideas and the adequacy of my artistic skills. But sometimes, you have to silence the voices in your head and recognize that you are your own worst critic. Not your bullies, you. Step back and acknowledge that you are brimming with talent, purpose, and promise. Those negative words may have been spoken to you, but now they are self-inflicted, bouncing around your mind like balls on a pool table. Don't let them hold you back from reaching your full potential. If I had succumbed to them, you wouldn't be viewing my artwork right now.