All my life I have anticipated conflict, which in reality never materialised. I rehearse possible arguments or fantasise about conversations where I can impress. The picture depicts my conscious self, with no thoughts and fully present, witnessing my unconscious self. The serpent has given me an ego and identity which feeds off thoughts of past and future. ......more

The narrative in my mind distracts me. I often find myself not listening deeply to another person, but simply waiting to reply. The chatter in my mind is of past and future, creating an imagined present. It is nearly always dualistic thinking and I find my self in a world I have created, often full of confrontation and anticipated problems, but never reality... ......more

I think having an illusion of self is essential for us to be able to navigate the world and survive. However, with a lack of self awareness, we allow the illusion of self to dominate our lives. Dualistic thinking takes over. My world becomes burdened with comparison, differentiation and separation and I begin to spend too much time creating a self image for people to acknowledge. I am beginning to realise that this image I create, is in fact, only seen by me. ......more

I was thinking about the Tree of knowledge of good and evil when drawing this picture. When challenged by God, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. With this act of not taking responsibility for their actions, driven by a new dualistic and egoic sense of self, suffering was born. This dualistic thinking, which is largely argumentative, has been dominant in my life. Perhaps fashioned by society, culture and education but ultimately fuelled by a misguided sense of self. ......more

I've begun to realise that what I see is filtered through my own experiences, culture, education and awareness. My thoughts are real to me, but not reality. Even when I look in the mirror, I don't recognise the person in my thoughts. The drawing shows how my vision passes through all these thoughts, influencing the way I see my world. ......more

When an owl hovered above me, time and thoughts stood still. In that magical moment, I realised my existence is dependent and connected to everything that has ever happened and is. ......more

I visited Chichester Cathedral and sat quietly in front of a tomb. My stillness enjoyed the lack of thoughts, the absense of time and I felt an awareness of how all things are connected when we become present in the moment. ......more

I grasp for happiness and peace. I try and stop thinking and all the time waiting for some spiritual epiphany. Nothing. Then an owl hovers above by chance and in that moment, I see that what I have already is enough. It's all here, I just need to stop trying. ......more

I often witness my thoughts agonising over a problem which has no significance to my life. I believe this is my ego, finding imagined conflict where I can be either superior or miserable, either way I am satisfyingly different or special. ......more

The process of watching my thoughts I find a liberating and comforting experience. I become a timeless, formless and infinite awareness which although I don't understand it, is a pleasant place to be. ......more

I love entering churches or cathedrals and feeling that sensation of timelessness. The feeling that this is a gateway to a truth, along with a sense of oneness and connection with all things. The stillness of the tomb connects us all. ......more

In my life I am aware of patterns of behaviour that pass from generation to generation. These patterns can be destructive but I believe awareness and acceptance is the means to effect positive change. ......more

I don't think the Buddha ever said there was no 'self'. However, in Buddhism and many religions there is the concept of oneness and universal consciousness. Finding stillness and letting thoughts go takes me to this place. ......more

When I read about a new quantum physics or scientific discovery my questioning mind defaults to scepticism. The burden of all these negative thoughts, blinds me to the possibilities created by an open mind. I think, with the acceptance of uncertainty, wisdom increases. ......more

As I get older, thoughts of my mortality rise. My life decisions can become coloured by how much time I may have and are made through fear. But if I can fully accept my impermanence, I become more present, less anxious and see the joy of being alive in this moment. ......more

My thoughts seem to be predominantly about form, time and material life. But I am beginning to enjoy an ever present sanctuary of just awareness, found in the space between words, sounds or actions. A formless and peaceful place. ......more

In this drawing I am witnessing the rotating wheel of death and rebirth. The figures are all our ancestors, whose actions have led to us. The figures could also represent events or influences that have effected our ancestors. Either way, all these people, events or history live on in us. We are our ancestors. In the centre of the rotating wheel, where the hub is, it is still, calm and peaceful. It is Nirvana. It is a place we can find within us and is not subject to the rotating wheel of life. It is a place of universal stillness and an awareness beyond just form. I have identified in my own life patterns of behaviour that have passed from one generation to the next. It seems finding this place of stillness and awareness, is the first step in addressing these negative patterns. ......more

In the drawing, the two figures are connected by the symbol of stillness. A symbol I have used in many pictures, originating from a tomb in a cathedral. If I can let my thoughts quieten down, I become a stillness, without dualistic thought, that is universal. From this stillness, we are born and will return. I like the analogy that we are a wave, created by our thoughts. We briefly exist but if we look carefully, we realise there is a vast unlimited and eternal ocean which is also 'you'. The drawing also hints at the circle of life, where the figures are connected to each other and through 'stillness'. In this way, life is eternal.. ......more

The labyrinth illustrates my spiritual journey, arriving in the centre where there is nothing. There is no deity, no life changing epiphany or profound experience. It is “empty” of solid, separate, and permanent existence. So I return on the same path, to the same ever changing world that I had left, doing what I did before, but also having changed. ......more

In Chichester cathedral there is a tomb for a notable medieval couple. The inscriptions and faces of the two effigies have faded but the couple are still affectionately holding hands. The tomb inspired Philip Larkin to write his poem 'An Arundel Tomb'. The last line reads...'What will survive of us is love' which when read out of context, suggests love rather than name, status, ego etc endures beyond the grave. Whether Larkin intended this interpretation is unlikely but for me the combination of the last line of the poem and the faded inscriptions on the tomb is a wonderful monument to how our identities fade but our actions can live on. As the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh wrote.. 'My actions are my only true belongings'. ......more

I see the Tree of Knowledge story from the bible as a parable about how our obsession with 'self' has become unbalanced with being 'selfless'. It reminds me of the cycle of reincarnation in Samsara, including one's actions and their consequences in past, present, and future. Both find liberation by looking within. ......more

I was in Durham cathedral looking at the rose window. The shapes made me think of people rotating around a centre, like a clock. This reminded me of Samsara and I liked the idea that the centre was still, like the hub of a rotating wheel, and in stillness we find enlightenment. So when I saw an owl hovering above me one evening, it brought me a magical stillness, with no thoughts, and in that moment, a glimpse of enlightenment. ......more

Having been inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, I began to explore how we are connected to every action of our ancestors. We are those actions and they live on in us. ......more

The Ted Talk by Donald Hoffman sparked my interest in the idea that all form is created by a universal consciousness and that the world we perceive is a fraction of reality, filtered and translated through our thoughts so that we can function. ......more

In this painting I was thinking about the freedom of 'no self' as opposed to the self awareness given to us by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The owl has come to represent this freedom for me, because when witnessed in nature, I find all thoughts stop and I am brought fully into the present moment. ......more

I think I enjoy my problems. They reinforce my sense of self, even if they cause me suffering. They make me feel special. Just a chance thought can trigger a long and pointless dialogue in my head, where I am centre stage. Only when I drop this notion of a 'self' do I find peace. ......more

I constantly try to find that space between thoughts. A place where I am not my thoughts. A place to visit and realise how wonderful being alive is.......more

A chance encounter with wildlife brings me instantly into the present moment. Thought is left behind, replaced by awareness. A magical moment that instantly lets go of the internal chatter in my mind. When drawing this I was remembering a moment sitting next to a tomb. The stillness of the tomb also calmed my thoughts and like with the owl, I felt pure awareness. ......more

All my thoughts and worries centre around an imagined future. If I can let go of my ego (depicted as a crown) and time (symbolised by the phases of the moon), then my thoughts become calm. I feel a stillness (represented by the carvings on the side of a tomb). In this stillness, a clarity replaces the endless imagined problems. A realisation of what I can do now, and what I need to let go. ......more

I think I enjoy my problems. They reinforce my sense of self, even if they cause me suffering. They make me feel special. Just a chance thought can trigger a long and pointless dialogue in my head, where I am centre stage. Only when I drop this notion of a 'self' do I find peace.