Mystery Portal: The Seed

I am currently sitting on the floor of my studio, surrounded by painted scraps of paper, scissors, and glue. I am working toward my very first solo exhibit, which will be titled: Mystery Portal. The driving question guiding this body of work has been, how does it feel to be present in the Unknown?

This drawing was taken straight from the sketchbook I used when I was 8 month pregnant with my daughter, Isadora. I call it the “seed” to all of the work that I’m creating now. At the time of this drawing, I had been dreaming about what it would feel like to pass through the portal into motherhood. Living abroad and physically far away from my own mother and community, I reassured myself through this quick sketch that I was surrounded by love and trust, even though I had never given birth before and was filled feelings of uncertainty. Spending time with this page soothed my worried mind and helped open my heart to more curiosity and openness.

Through color, texture, and shape, I’ve been exploring these feelings I had during this transitional space between gestation and parenthood.

But through creating each piece in this series, something surprising happened: I began to see the Mystery Portal in many other aspects of my life and in other stages of parenthood. How could I ever be so sure of what is coming next in life?

Aren’t we all moving through our own Mystery Portals into unknown territory, never completely knowing for sure what the next day or life chapter will bring?