Artist Abbi Jacobson has mastered the art of subtly. The cover photo of this post is one of her pieces displaying what she thinks might be found in the pocket, bag or glove compartment of Donald Trump.

We’re on the countdown to Election Day so this photo is even more humorous given that we know him—or at least some surface things about him…

Jacobson is poking fun at the fact that he is inexperienced (Building Walls for Dummies), concerned about his image (Make Your Hair Great Again comb, tanning lotion & skin lotion) and has a case of a giant ego (‘Pocket Mantras’ and the ‘Trump Checklist’). She’s pointing out what Americans have seen but maybe haven’t conceptualized. She’s also making a statement about how little we know about the candidates’ actual policy plans due to the way this election has played out.

But Jacobson is not the only one who knows how to play the subtly card. It’s through drawings, photos and articles like Jacobson’s pieces that formulate American’s conception not only of politicians, but of every person, place and thing. It’s fascinating and also scary how our minds can be shifted without us even realizing it. It’s the power of advertising that individuals spend years studying how to be good at.

No matter if you believe in the field of advertising or are harshly against it, there’s no denying that it’s exponentially powerful.

My challenge for any U.S. citizens is to remove the advertisements, the propaganda and all the opinions and vote with their gut feeling in mind. Spend time researching the candidates. Look at the way the candidates think, what their track record is and also what they’ve laid out as their stance on large nation-wide issues. There’s no telling what a candidate will do when they’re in office, but looking at what they’ve been publically saying they will do is a much better way to vote than to just listen to commercials.

Look at the way the candidates think

It’s important to remember media has funded much advertising for both parties and what we consume is oftentimes sensationalized. If the American people can remove even some of the commentary put out by the media and advertisers, this election might have more confident voters who could draw a picture with more than just the surface level things about the candidates and get down to the nitty gritty concrete issues.

To see more of Abbi’s work, click here.

Photo Credits: Abbi Jacobson