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Can you identify those moments in life that shaped you?  Those moments that pointed you down a new path, albeit prosperous or not.  Those moments that cut so deep that you thought you wouldn’t be able to move forward and reshaped your thinking of the world around you? Those moments that were so joyous, you just wanted the world to stop at that exact second and stay there forever?  

 

For me, these moments have spanned throughout my life. From growing up with dyslexia, being an athlete, having children with and marrying my best friend, and navigating life with an older brother who battled addiction and mental illness, subsequently dying by his own hand.  Life is full of highs and lows, give and takes, and flexibility and rigidity.  These meaningful life moments shape our souls and who we are as well as how we hold ourselves and view the world.

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We all start as empty vessels. We are slightly different as some have more space to fill from the very beginning, while others are afforded less space in this world.  We are simple, naive and ready to take in life.  As life progresses we each see the world around us through the lenses of the experiences we have had.  When we stand alone, others can examine us to see our dents; our simple yet beautiful lines that make us who we are.  Some of us are slightly altered with few adjustments, while others are morphed, bent, and significantly changed by their journey.  When someone stands alone, we see the hardships, pain and beauty of how those moments have altered that individual and have made impressions upon their life. 

 

This sculpture series is meant to stand alone or in groupings. Just like in life, sometimes we need to stand alone in order to recognize our own depth, beauty and strength.  Other times we need those around us to communicate with to bring out our uniqueness by using those moments they have compiled along their journey to complement our own.  We need community and friendship to help us highlight both our pain and our success, while protecting and lifting up those around us in the process.  

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Life is not always pretty, but it takes every moment of our journey to form us into the person that we are, the person we are becoming, and to draw out the beauty and gifts of those around us.