03.2023

I began this series in my mind during a yoga practice back in October 2022. I was freshly single and in the deep and painful process of healing. I had left my long term partner of 11 years and had relocated to Florida for the winter to rest and recalibrate. The start of this transformation began over a year before. Meditation was the gatekeeper to mySelf. I began uncovering the authentic parts of me that I had subconsciously buried. I kept her away because deep down I knew she didn’t align with the life I had made for myself; the life I built with my partner. Over time the Serena who was hidden started clawing her way out demanding air, demanding to be seen, demanding to be heard. I couldn’t ignore her anymore without serious detriment to my mental and physical health. There was a duality existing inside of me that could no longer cohabitat. So I did the hardest thing I have ever done. I uprooted my life, left the man I love, and said goodbye to my favorite place in the world. 

I have been a student of yoga for about 13 years and a student of meditation for two. I had only just begun to open myself up to learning about the chakra system. The yoga instructor I practice with incorporates these energy centers into her holistic classes. I became curious and started connecting the lessons the chakras teach to my own healing. I was ending a session on my mat in child’s pose when an image came to my mind: images of tarot, energies, mysticism, animals, and celestial bodies entered my creative gate. 

This period of my life is a chance to reevaluate my goals and intentions. I am taking a big pause. In this pause I am absorbing many schools of thought, ancient practices, and new ideas of mental health, and self care. I am grateful to say that I truly believe that it is a better life becoming instead of being. There is a balance to everything. There is a saying “gardening, not architecture,” and this series embodies that idea, through the versatile meanings of the chakras. 

Note: I am new to the teachings of the chakras. I have been practicing some meditations, mantras, pranayama, and asanas to better connect inward. This series is my personal journey through these practices and supplemental research. I am not a teacher nor an expert. An important aspect of making art and sharing it, is the innate curiosity and interpretation of the viewer.

I wanted to create a mystical mood for all of these pieces. It was important that they were cohesive and obviously connected in different ways. The tarot cards have been an intriguing point for me when I am unsure of the next step, or crossing a threshold in a season or time. I typically play with these ideas at arms length, making connections where I see fit. The mind has a great way of creating idiosyncrasies especially when we are seeking answers to tough questions. When I use the word “play” with these cards, I don’t mean to insinuate that I trivialize their meaning or power. I say “play” as a means of observing and trying to carry no judgment or expectation. Back to the tarot: I have admired the art style and canon of the cards ever since my first reading. I decided to use a similar structure for my Becoming > Being series. The structure is made of a double border with arching corners. There are four corners connected by stars, with a towering arch in the center. This format is repeated in every piece, of which there are seven. Each work represents one of every energy center: Muladhara, Svadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna,and Sahasrara. The colors correspond with their own chakra as well as the chakra that proceeds it