Eudaimonia: The Houseplant Collection

“Let me, in the short span of my life, 

contribute something more 

to that good conversation. 

And let me release my expectations

of the times and places and ways 

in which it might be received. 

Let me simply craft 

the finest offering I am able - 

within my given limits of time, 

and skill, and circumstance - 

and then offer it to you to 

use it as you will. 

Let that be enough for me, O Lord.”

-Labor and Vocation, Pg68

Psalm 90:17
“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us: Establish the work of our hands for us - Yes, Establish the work of our hands.” 

Cultivate: “To foster the growth of; to improve by labor, care, or study”

At the very core of my being, I have always had a desire to cultivate. Cultivate relationships, creativity, life, and health. These have all presented themselves in different ways throughout my life; painting, throwing pottery, caring for plants, sports, running, human connection, and storytelling. There are moments when it feels like I have had to prioritize one drive for another. After all, I think that is life, finding the balance between what you value. 

For me personally, after college, my personal drive took a deep hit. I found myself no longer able to push past the slumps, creative or personal. I couldn't keep working myself into exhaustion like I was used to doing. I didn't even want to sit down and draw, my most beloved and relaxed way of creating/ observing. This made it very hard for me to even feel like I could continue to call myself an artist because after all, I wasn't creating regularly anymore. Throughout this time not only did I lose my desire to create, I lost my desire to do much of anything. It was a chore to just get out of bed, and it was hard to see the beauty in my mundane life. 

So, I did what everyone else does when they feel run down and lost, I lived each moment day by day. I learned that our soul, mind, and body need rest. I allowed myself the space away from creating as I gave my body much needed respite. I did have one thing that I continued to cultivate, that continued to bring me joy, peace, and comfort: plants. I have 50 individual houseplants; they depend on me to live, and yet somehow they keep me alive too. They fed my soul when I was low. You see, my desire to cultivate lived on through them. You might think it a small thing, but to me, it was a sign every day that life was growing all around me, being fed by me, cared for by me, and simply observed by me. 

Those plants were a source of true joy for me in a time that as an artist, I truly did not feel like I could claim the title of ‘artist’. So, it is only fitting that they are the subject of this series. Because after all this series is about growth, light, cultivation. It is about the beauty around us. It is about my desire to share not only my love of creating, but my love of God’s creation. I used my own personal plants as still life drawings on each piece so that you could step into my safe space through my pieces. You can observe these plants, learn from them, and grow to love them. 

Eudaimonia: “a state of contentment and happiness that comes from living a meaningful life. The condition of human flourishing or of living well.”