In my painting, "The Sun Will Rise Another Day", I talk about how "goodbyes" can be difficult,

and how hard it is to let go, especially if we're not the ones initiating the goodbye.

It can make you feel as if you're unwanted, not enough, unloved.

But when it is you who initiates it, it's because you've examined your life, and decided leaving (saying goodbye) to a job, relationship, etc. is what is right for you in that time in your life.

Similarly, if a "goodbye" is forced upon you, you must accept that the other person(s) have decided the same.

Socrates said, "an unexamined life isn't a life worth living".

I agree.

If no one is examining their life, i.e., self-reflecting, then we may all be going in the wrong direction from where we want our lives to be.

This painting, Ponder, 2nd in the collection “Journey”, represents the examination, the self-reflection, we should all do every once in a while in our lives,

not necessarily when something bad has happened, but just to make sure the direction your life is going is aligned with your self-fulfillment.

I think the pandemic really made people self-reflect on the direction of their lives,

and hence the "Great Resignation".

But besides thinking about the direction of their lives, I think it also came down to self-love, self-respect.

A survey from the Pew Research Center "finds that low pay, a lack of opportunities for advancement and feeling disrespected at work are the top reasons why Americans quit their jobs last year."

People realized their self-worth; besides actually being disrespected, they also believed that the lack of pay and opportunities didn't equal up to what they knew they deserved.

No matter what your situation is in life, self-reflection is always a good practice to have.

When you look inwards, asking yourself questions like, what do I value, you get to know yourself deeper.

And when you do, you are more confident in the choices you make and clearer on what direction you want to go.

• 30” x 40”

• Acrylic paint, Foam Modeling Clay, Digital

• Acid-free, PH-neutral, poly-cotton base

• 20.5 mil (0.5 mm) thick canvas

• Canvas fabric weight: 13.9 oz/yd² (470 g/m²)

• Mounting brackets included

• Hand-glued solid wood stretcher bars

• 1.5″ (3.81 cm) deep