Walking the labyrinth
The point of a maze is to find its center. The point of a labyrinth is to find your center.
This month has been full of growth and I am proud of myself for pushing outside my comfort zone and into the unknown. Here are some of the highlights from last week's labyrinth installation:
On Monday, I headed to the Holland Project with a full car, two kids, and motivation to install the Spooky Action labyrinth in the Serva Pool gallery. Luckily, Holland was hosting a Kids Craft Camp, which meant I could install with my kids onsite. My eldest daughter ended up helping me put the labyrinth together. She's incredible at puzzles, and her participation made the install fun and fast (trust kids!).
On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to share the labyrinth with the craft camp participants (ages 6–9). We talked about experiential art and how the five senses help us understand what an artist is communicating. The real lesson came from watching them. They ran straight into the labyrinth without a second thought. No hesitation, no overthinking, just play. It was a clear demonstration of the idea I'd been building the whole piece around, and a good reminder to bring that same fearlessness back into my own work.
Thursday was the reception and artist talk (my first time leading one). I'm a teacher, so standing in front of a room isn't new, but this was different. It was a platform to be vulnerable, to talk openly about what I was discovering; to talk about the piece and about myself.
About the installation: The name "Spooky Action at a Distance" comes from Einstein's term for quantum entanglement, where two particles stay connected and affect one another instantly, even light years apart. I used this through-line to communicate two core concepts: community through action and timelessness/genetic memory. At the center of the labyrinth sits the Altar of Vessels, a collection of thrown ceramic pieces that became an ode to practice itself. I challenged myself to let go of perfection, and trust that clay, like tradition, carries its own memory.
Support the Holland Project: An incredible organization that runs all-ages music and art opportunities
Support Laika Press: Non-profit community printingmaking studio and darkroom (I silkscreened the labyrinth shirts here)
It was a lovely group, full of family and friends, and the talk was successful despite my nerves. Sharing all of that out loud, with people I love in the room, was harder than I expected and more rewarding than I imagined. Thank you to everyone who came out and walked the path with me (literally and otherwise). What a beautiful life.
I'm looking forward to getting back to my knots series. Thanks for being here - stay tuned.
Help keep this practice sustainable: buymeacoffee.com/jennysnaza