For a while now I’ve been on this journey to bring authenticity into my art, but admittedly, even I wasn’t 100% sure what that meant. I just knew that I was on on a journey to find parts of myself that were missing. I’ve been looking for passion, and joy, and truth that I’d been missing it.
I’d been trying to draw out something within myself and failing at it. But I know not that even failing is good and part of the journey. Because in failing, I’ve still been trying, and working, and building.
In the absence of joy, I’ve been practicing skill. In my want for passion, I’ve been acquiring technique. In my search to truth, I found grace.
This journey is of course a lifelong one, and every road is different. Falling back on the familiar road can help to keep moving, but trotting a different road brings with it new knowledge.
The key to this journey has been to keep moving. Even when lost. Even when confused. Even when tired. Sometimes the cycle was rest, cry, and throw things, but at some point come back to it.
I think in this new artwork, I’ve truly found a lot of what I’ve been looking, and the funny thing is, it’s made up of a work I did while on the journey to get to this piece.
It’s simple.
But it speaks loudly with my authentic voice.
-Daniel J. James-
ASH 9/17 
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