Parallel Futures
Parallel Futures
And random thoughts from the studio...
My thoughts continue to be rather scattered these days. It made me think about this piece, “Parallel Futures”, where the image is breaking apart into a myriad of colors and shapes. I created it in 2021 at a significant point in my life. And even though I’m pretty open about my art, process, inspiration, and various emotional states - there are also many things I don’t share.
Recently, I was struck by, of all things, a movie preview for “Mothering Sunday” (2021) that randomly crossed my path. Adapted from a 2016 novel by Graham Swift, I do not know the film other than noting it has a tremendous cast and one of my favorite actors, Olivia Coleman (and therefore, I may watch it regardless of overall mediocre reviews). When I saw this preview, I was intrigued by the words of the main character, Jane, and I scribbled the following lines of dialogue…
“And when did you become a writer?”
Jane: “Three times over. The day I was born. The day Mr. Paxton gave me my typewriter.
“And the third?”
Jane: “It’s a secret.”
It made me think about “when did I become an artist?” and how multiple inflection points in our lives can direct our path forward - some we share while maybe there are others we don’t. (There’s much more to unpack here, but that’s all I have the bandwidth for today.)
Two years later I still love this piece and the special place it holds in my heart. I meander around its many dimensions and soak in the light spilling out of receding darkness. It inspires me to keep looking at the world in new ways and be open to the randomness that crosses my path now and then.
~ Jennifer
The thoughts you shared in this post really resonated with me (lovely writing too by the way). Like most people, I have many different "identities" in the sense that I write books, paint, am a Chair of Governors at a school and a chartered scientist (the list goes on!). I have often thought about at which point did I become these things. I agree with the idea that there is no single point. Not really. I think we evolve and grow at different points. As for my art, I've been selling successfully for the past 2 years but still feel like an imposter. When did I become an artist? I'll let you know!