“Ayâtisiw” - well balanced.
I started out making this pair trying to redesign the good fire flame. But when I finished the flame, I all of a sudden felt the need to bead it’s balance.
The flame has sharp edges. I made it that way deliberately because when I think of a good fire, I think of restraint and control. I think of the ability to harness the good qualities of something powerful. I think of strategy mixed with warmth and care. But fire can be dangerous. It needs to be balanced.
The wave has rounded curves. Water can put out a fire that has gotten out of hand. It cools us off in the summer, or when we’ve become too heated. It gives us needed hydration and is life giving. But it is a power to be careful with too.
Fire can burn and destroy if we’re not careful. And water can envelop and drown us if we are not equally careful.
I need this reminder often because I struggle with balance. My anxiety can overtake me if I don’t intentionally and strategically monitor my thinking patterns. Humans naturally dwell and are attracted to the negative, so our thoughts do as well. And sometimes, life imposes itself on us and we are surrounded by barriers and trials. And that’s ok. That’s normal sometimes.
But practicing balance can be as simple as dwelling on the breath we just took. Not everyone has access to fresh air or strong lungs. Each breath I take is sacred. So I dwell on the fact that I can take a breath. I dwell on the fact that I ate a good breakfast this morning. I dwell on the little things Creator gave me in the moments that I feel like I’m out of balance.
This pair is for anyone who needs a reminder that balance is needed in order to properly care for the good and powerful things inside of us.