Breathe Back, c.2021

Cultivating a life that breathes back all the love and care you put out into the world back into you.

Breathe Back features a nude woman standing within the verdant leaves of a monstera deliciosa plant, her face placid as she takes in this moment.

Breathe Back is a piece inspired by my love for houseplants and the ways watching their growth patterns wax and wane has guided my process for healing. This balance between voracious expansion and quiet dormancy has provided a window into the ways that I see rest and productivity in my own life. It has taught me that constant growth or movement does not leave space for the necessary internal work that is often done in times of stillness. It has also helped me to gain a sense of reciprocity in my life, as I've noticed my plants thrive the more I pour into caring for them. The title "Breathe Back" references this concept, that whatever space we occupy will be where we pour our energy into; therefore, we ought to seek out the places that help us feel most like the people we want to be so that we can give ourselves more authentically without regret.

Acrylic on wood panel canvas.