SNURFIN' USA
"Life is not about having a pulse. It's about having friends and experiences and living..." Jake Burton Carpenter
A few weeks ago, over the Christmas holiday, I hit the slopes of Keystone, Colorado with my whole family. The trip was a long one with its own speedbumps including some injuries and setbacks. Despite any of these things, I had the BEST time on top of that mountain... a childlike giddiness while cruising down the slopes!
It was the first time in years that I felt truly immersed in what I was doing, with no low-lying anxiety about work. I find it difficult to separate my work from my personal life, as the two overlap so often. My routine is typically devoid of boundaries between work and home, - I can never 'leave work at the office.' While I once found that to be a negative, I've come to realize that there really is no separation, as my experiences are what inspires my projects.
So much of my work is a reflection of things that I have found joy within, that I value, or that I think are fun or expressive. Artwork is my expression of energy.. to set imagery to the bright, restless energy that is me.
Listening to a podcast this week, I was struck by the story of Jake Burton Carpenter, the founder of Burton snowboards. Notoriety and fortune came by building the most iconic boards - and the sport itself - yet, Carpenter was struck with a neurological illness that fully paralyzed him for over 6 weeks, imprisoning him to the ICU. On the other side of recovery, he summarized his takeaways of his tumultuous hospital stay: it is an absolute privilege to have mobility and to be able to exert your energy. To experience life is the greatest gift.
Jack's story is inspiring as hell. Nothing in this life can be taken for granted.. especially, and most importantly, our daily gift of life and health. How we choose to use that gift is sometimes lost within the daily grind... but don't stop grinding!
Here's to pumping our energy into the world!
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