Summon From Within

Not every battle can be won, so sometimes the best thing we can do in life is retreat inwards, toward what feels meaningful, and allow a new path to emerge.

I, like most people, have always wanted magic to exist in the world. In the shower, I used to watch the stream of water flow from my hands and imagine that I was in control of the water. Sometimes I imagine waking up to discover that I have the ability to make trees grow just by extending my arms, letting the magic of nature flow through me. If only…

Despite magic being only fantasy, I always found that nature had it's own innate magical qualities. There is so much awe and wonderment in nature, it's hard to not equate that to magic. For much of my life I have also been an optimist and have felt a desire to make an impact on the world in someway. Last year, all of these various forms of "magic" seemed to have faded away. Nature stopped inspiring, I lost my optimism, and I no longer felt capable of much of anything.

I knew at the time of this drawing that I needed to start the process of learning from my mistakes so that I could achieve growth rather than continue to spiral. I needed to create my own magic. Summon from Within is about realizing that you are in control of yourself and the magic represents human resilience.

I didn’t find magic the way I imagined as a child. What I found instead was the ability to stay, reflect, and choose differently.