Years ago, I lived with a roommate who kept a magnet on the fridge that read, “Bloom where you are planted.” I took it as a personal attack. I tried hard to read the phrase as it were intended; make the most of what you have. I agree, changing a situation will not fill any holes you feel in life. Too often you hear about people who are focused on achievement to find happiness. “I’ll finally be happy when I ___________ (fill in the blank; get married, have a kid, get rich, get promoted, etc.)” I’m not one to attach my emotional state to achievement. I identify with eastern philosophies that advocate against attachment to any outcome. I’m left feeling like this phrase is a personal attack to me and my gypsy-like soul. Stay put. Be planted. Thrive in stability. I’ve spent a lifetime struggling with this. I feel constant pressure to settle down. The less settled down one is, the more they struggle finding basic respect and validity in our society. Just ask a room of hiring managers what they think of a resume listing a different job every 6 months. The least settled of us; the homeless, are often the least accepted of all.

What if I am not that plant? What if, rather than being the dandelion that society demands of me, I am a morning glory? Sure, I have roots, I am planted. But my vines want to reach as far and wide as they can before they bloom. It hurts me to feel like a dandelion, stuck so close to the ground. A dandelion never sees beyond it’s stem until it goes to seed; until it’s only purpose is to propagate itself. I decided to explore this feeling in picture. It’s a theme I could draw hundreds of pictures about.