“A Moment of Reflection” Totems

 I’ve talked about these totems I’m creating. You can read the previous blog article here. I call these “A Moment of Reflection” totems.

I think the majority of the time, when one talk about “a moment”, one usually refers to life changing spectacular moments such as a marriage proposal, a birth of a child, the first man on the moon, the first transatlantic flight, etc. Or one might think of emotionally charged terrible tragedies like a shattering earthquake, a cat 5 tornado, a school shooting, an attack on the world trade centers, or the recent attack on the US Capitol building.

I want to reflect on moments of a much smaller scale, ones that mostly go unnoticed but still have great effects on a deep emotional level. Individual moments that most of us experienced by ourselves and think we are alone in that experience. Sometimes it only takes a moment to drop into the abyss, and we need a moment to get out of one.

When I think about what these totems mean and what I want them to represent to the individuals who have one of these, I think of them as nebulous objects that mean something different for each person. Often times I don’t think that meaning is known or realized until the instant when it is needed and the meaning is clear or clearly defined. Maybe it happened on the last leg of a journey, at the bottom of the barrel or the end of the line, when hope seems elusive and the light on that final match begins to fade into darkness. What if there is something that can be a reminder that hope is not lost, that provides the strength to feel through the darkness and find another source of light. 

Sometimes an instant in time, a moment of reflection, can provide a sense of clarity. Sometimes it can alter the course of your life. One hardly notice these tiny minuscule moments during the course of day to day living. What if we just take time to acknowledge them, to notice that they make minor or major impacts on our journey. What if some smaller moments lead to an even bigger one. Can an artistic totem provide that instant if it is allowed?

I’d like to think that these totems can provide a place where, if one wants to, one can stop and reflect on that moment, while being overwhelmed or anxious or nervous or scared. A place to just stop and take a moment to breathe and try to get some clarity.

This is the start of my “A Moment of Reflection” project. Is it ambitious of me to think that my totems can help illuminate how reflecting on a moment can make a difference in someone’s thoughts and feelings in a positive way? Maybe, but I would like to at least try to provide some sense of calm, peace, sanity and clarity to those in need, one person at a time.