AH-HA

When I was in my early 20′s I spent part of a late summer afternoon observing an elderly couple quietly feeding ducks at a pond in Germany. It was at the tail end of a very long trip I took backpacking through Europe. I had traveled thousands of miles from home looking for adventure. My theory was the farther away I went, the sooner I’d discover something new and transformative. This couple seemed so happy, simply at peace. It’s because they’re old…I’ll probably be happy feeding ducks when I’m eighty, I dismissed to myself. It was envy’s way of justifying my restlessness. Fast forward twenty plus years later and here I am, at the tail end of another summer, without a heavy backpack, tugging a hand that is in search of that pond. The pond represents a peace of mind, knowing that you already have everything you need to be okay/whole. And this pond isn’t a place, it’s a reflection of you, so don’t look away. I want to show this hand that we don’t need to search outside of ourselves to find our way, we are enough. The undiscovered resides within us– in the way we view, give, and share this world and our lives. This picture is the pond. See with patience, breathe deep and realize you are already (and still are) here.
PS: I’m standing right next to you.

AH-HA (2013) paper blocks, plastic, ink, 48″ x 48″