In My Mind

I met a Ghanaian artist in midtown Manhattan who was selling his paintings in a local park. I was immediately drawn to this painting so I asked him to explain what had inspired him to create it.

He told me that, as a child in Ghana, there was this tree from his childhood that had always brought him an incredible amount of joy. He had spent time there playing and dreaming, so he loved it very much.

When he emigrated to the United States, he was not able to take his tree with him. That made him quite sad, not only because he missed the tree but everything that the tree represented as well -- the raw, natural environment, the sense of belonging, of community, of connection to the land, the simple joy of existence unencumbered by the complexities of 'modern life.'

So, he decided to allow the tree to grow in his mind. He tells me it's thriving in there and that brings him much comfort. It guides him through the chaos of this modern city like a compass that roots him deeply into the Earth.