When I imagine creating something with no audience in mind, I usually imagine something brightly colored, something animated and moving, something incorporating technology. It would be something that lights me up inside, because all those things do. Sometimes I just imagine something odd, or a connection between two radically different ideas… a what-if. And yet, even in that private space, I notice how quickly my mind turns to how others might respond. But that’s the reflex I’m gently challenging.

The impulse to consider others is strong, I think, because we are conditioned to want to please, for recognition and validation. Growing up, I naturally wanted praise from my parents. I was delighted when they gave it, and very hurt when they didn’t, or when they criticized what I made. I think we carry that into adulthood.

What I hope to reveal when I make something only for me, without anyone else in mind, is me. I want my art to represent me. And if someone does find it interesting and compelling, they are seeing a reflection of me. And maybe catching a bit of that light too.