For several months I have had the following quote at the bottom of my email signature:

“The challenge lies in creating with it that combination of truth and beauty called Art.  The quest above all is spiritual.”

I recently rediscovered this quote while doing research in my old journals for a painting series.  This quote eloquently and succinctly captures my creative quest, but I couldn't remember where it had come from.

The mystery has been solved by an oh so simple Google search. It was written by Isabel Allende in her novel Portrait in Sepia which was given to me as a birthday gift from my grandparents.  Allende is one of my favorite authors.  And, since her heroine is an artist (photographer) in this book, it's quite fitting that this quote found its way into my journal.  I highly recommend this title along with it's prequel Daughter of Fortune.  Her work is especially touching when read in Spanish, her native language.  I read Casa de los Espiritus en espanol and was constantly blown away by the beauty and talent of her writing.

Some call it street art, I think that it should be considered part of the Public Art realm. Last week I was on a bike ride accross the Golden Gate bridge while visitng my sister and brother-in-law in Berkeley. There is an adorable little town on the opposite side of the bridge from San Fransico called Sausalito. Aside from the panoramic views of the bay and the city, beautiful houses, and a candy shop where you can sample as much as you want, my favorite attraction was a humble man on the beach creating sculptures nearly defying gravity. Bill Dan has been building his rock sculptures in front of the public eye and for the pleasure of viewers passing by since 1994. He is not commissioned by anyone but his internal artist eager for the opportunity to create. What an inspiration! I love seeing art out in our communities.

I feel so fortunate for the international exposure and experiences I have had up to this point in my life. The people I have met, personal challenges I have faced, and new places I have seen have forever changed my outlook on life. It's hard to put into words, especially for an artist who isn't well versed in words, but most of all this collection of experiences have put me in touch with the humanity which we all share. While we may find ourselves in different environments and speaking in languages that don't comprehend each other, we all seem to have similar hopes and dreams, trials and troubles. It's too easy to think of someone as "other" or "different" but in reality we are all very much the same.

Jon and I are still hosting our blog that we wrote during our time in Malawi. It's nice to go back and read about what I was learning in that space and how to keep those things alive in my life right now. For the most part, I encountered the most culture shock in relation to TIME, RELATIONSHIPS, and PRODUCTIVITY. In Malawi, I liked how relationships were more important than staying on schedule. Back home, I like the satisfaction of productivity achieved by being on schedule. I'm working on bringing the best of both worlds together.

To read more from our Malawi blog visit: Barrio Malawi