Illustration of interconnected ponds titled 'The Connection Cove,' depicting different stages of relationship development. The 'Social Network & Friendship Pond' features various animals interacting and forming connections. The 'Attraction & Mating Pond' shows animals attracted to each other and spawning. The 'Parenting & Family Pond' displays animals caring for their young, and the 'Marriage & Partnership Pond' portrays paired animals with their offspring, symbolizing relationship progression.

Connection

Cove

After spending some time with The Psychology of Sex and Gender by Jennifer K. Bosson, I found myself stuck on a few specific concepts that I couldn’t stop thinking about. To make sense of it all, I visualized the information as a landscape called The Connection Cove.

I sectioned the topic into four different "ponds," with each one representing a core theme from my perspective. Within those ponds, I created characters to act as symbols for different psychological concepts, helping me see how these ideas actually play out in real life. I found it interesting to take something as complex as the gender psychology of interpersonal relationships and turn it into a physical space where every character and every pond tells a different part of the story.

Illustration of a pond with animals and plants, labeled 'Social Network & Friendship Pond,' featuring fish, frogs, turtles, snakes, dragonflies, duckweed, lily pads, rocks, and aquatic plants.

A look at the ripples of friendship and how our social circles keep us afloat.

A pond scene with fish, a frog on a lily pad, a bird in a nest, a duck, a beaver, water lilies, and dragonflies surrounding the pond
A pond scene with fish, a frog on a lily pad, a bird in a nest, a duck, a beaver, water lilies, and dragonflies surrounding the pond

Primal tides and how they shape modern dating relationships.

Illustration of a pond scene titled 'Marriage & Partnership Pond'. It features two frogs on a lily pad, a pair of swans in a nest, koi fish swimming, dragonflies and insects around, crocus flowers, a cherry blossom tree, a log, and crawfish among rocks.

Interconnected streams that highlight how different couples navigate commitment and shared resources.

Illustration of a pond with various animals, including ducks with ducklings, fish, frogs, snails, and a water dragon, with a banner that reads 'Parenting & Family Pond'.

Changing ripples that map the unique paths, quiet joys, and real challenges of raising a family.

Colorful koi fish swimming in a pond surrounded by rocks and greenery.

2026

The Connection Cove

Shifting tides that show the deep complexity and beautifully diverse ways we navigate our social worlds.

Written and created by

Nicole Gapinski