Thank You for Being Here

I bought the domain for this website years ago. When I was still managing a small hotel in Lihue - hotel is strong word - more of a motel really. I was working long hours everyday and was on call every night. Art has always been my way to create the world I wanted to be in, I view it as the ultimate practice of reality creation. So much so that I have found myself on the other side of my burnout and in what feels to be the summer of my life. Deciding that there is never a truly a time we feel completely "ready" to share ourselves so vulnerably, but taking the leap anyway. In the same way that "happiness is only real when shared" I believe art is only impactful at its full potential when shared. I belong so deeply to the photos I take, paintings I create and images I generate. They take me back to an exact point in time in my life, seeing them reminds me of how I felt when I made them. What I have uploaded so far is only a small fraction of the art I have created over the years. I've always loved to paint as my mother did, but the real catalyst for what would become my favorite medium was when she gifted me an old Nikon she would never use. The little girl I used to be who would stop and stare at things up close, study them, love them, build with them, finally had a way to capture the world exactly as she saw it. Its become a lifelong love affair and I feel so blessed anytime someone takes an interest in seeing my perspective of my environment.

I'm still unsure of what this site will become in this moment on the Spring Equinox of 2024. Shortly after my 26th birthday. All I know is the time to finally stop being a perfectionist at my own detriment and to begin sharing my heart little by little, feels as though it is right now. I have written my whole life as well and am grateful for the ability to showcase my art and my writing in one place. There are so many things I'm passionate about, as a typical ADHD person can attest to, so its beautiful to have a space here all my own to encompass it all. I want to speak on not only the process of creating art, but also the importance of regenerative agriculture, supporting local businesses, as well as cultivating healthy love within ourselves and our relationships - which then bleeds into yet another love of mine, psychology. I have a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Hawaii that I originally wanted to use to go on to get my masters and then a certification in psychedelic therapy. I did not move forward with doing so because the journey would have taken me away from Kauai. More on that in a separate post. For now I will keep this short and sweet, and thank you for being interested in what I have to say. I hope to create things that inspire as much as I am inspired by you, my community of makers. The world desperately needs all of our unique voices right now. Here's to finally joining the choir in a way that feels meaningful to me.

Much love,

Xochi