looking around at the infinitely complex universe, it is easy to feel like a cog in the wheel of time and space. we see how all of nature seems to take care of itself, with beautiful but often ruthless efficiency. at Steele Henry, we celebrate this automation and how it represents itself, often geometrically, in metaphorical patterns reflected within Nature. yet, the sacredness of geometry is not just found in mathematics, it is found in you the appreciating observer. bear with me as I try to explain . . . 

we are a byproduct of our environment, but we also create our environment. we bounce back and forth between these two. even our modes of adornment follow this dualistic nature . . . our environment creates the mind that perceives and cultivates a world-view, the cultural belief systems for art, science, relationships . . . yet in turn, our mind chooses our surroundings, fashion, diet, hygiene, and the myriad of products we choose to consume. marketers bank on us behaving conditionally, with our mind affecting our choices and vice versa.

this cyclical relationship is the basis for all of life. this inner / outer or objective / subjective dance, of which we are all part, is never static. we are in the ocean, we are the ocean, this very moment . . . every moment. we flow, we grow, we crest, we crash. we love to laugh and we love to cry. whether it's a comedy or a drama, we play right along! we love to be both stimulated and sedated. give me my coffee, give me my xanax (or as we do around here: give my matcha, give me my kava.) we love celebrating the mechanism of predictability. 

Vicktor Frankl, in his memoir MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING, writes "between stimulus and response there is a space". This "space", the power to choose a response, is of true value. how can this "space", this nothingness, be of utmost value? this is where admiration and gratitude can sprout. out of the ethers of your consciousness, compassion can blossom. you are the gardener of this treasure, you must pull the weeds! you must see the difference, again and again, between survival-mind and heart-spaciousness.

breathe, and realize that creating space within your life happens every moment. each moment is a stimulus, and opportunity to wake up and smell the roses. consciousness thrives when we learn the knack of cherishing this space, of seeing the world through the eyes of an artist, a poet, a lover, a saint. in this way, we see the giant clock-like universe for what it is, an absolutely miraculous creation. the sacred spirals and fractals of explosions flash into our wondrous eyes and we choose to paint them, to sing them, to wear them. in this way, celebrating beauty is a virtue.