September 22, 2016

KESTENBAUM | The Art of Letting Go

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A random collage from my sketchbook. London, UK.

 

To let go is to be free.

It is to completely detach from societal expectations and latch onto what you expect for yourself. It is the ability to separate the things that matter and the things that do not. The art of letting go is allowing yourself to figure out who you really are, what your voice and  true calling are in this short life that we all lead.

How often do you feel at peace? Do you ever feel lost and wished you had someone or something to confide in?

Pictured above is an image of my sketchbook, which I used during my time abroad in London. Although inanimate, this book brought my imagination to life; all my thoughts, ideas, memories, even worries are recorded within, and it is what I turned to during my travels to remember all that I lived through.

There are several factors in our life that will change us: the friends we’ll meet, the classes we’ll take, even the nights of fun that we may not remember. However, something as small as a sketchbook can change you significantly if you are willing to open your mind to what can close. A sketchbook is a listener waiting to hear what you have to say, and it’ll respond by letting you do the talking, by letting you learn from yourself what your next motive or destination should be.

As I flipped back through my sketchbook, I stumbled upon one of my favorite pages. It is a spread on Tracey Emin, a British contemporary artist who rose to fame during the 1960s for her autobiographical and confessional works (Wikipedia). A powerful communicator, she represents the ability to be free of mental constraints. Her sheer honesty is what makes her work so appealing to others.

Notes in my sketchbook on Tracey Emin, a British artist. London, UK.

Notes in my sketchbook on Tracey Emin, a British artist. London, UK.

Take a look at some of her work below and see for yourself how she masters the art of letting go.

Tracey Emin’s prominent works. LED lights.

Tracey Emin’s prominent works. LED lights.