On Facing Life’s Storms: Ready When You Are (2022)
"Ready When You Are" (2022) by Anna Dominique Santos
I’ve always had this irrational fear of dying by lightning strike. Perhaps it’s from watching the movie Powder (1995) as a kid or that strange feeling of restlessness during thunderstorms (or a combination of both). Either way, that fear has crept into my adulthood. Tonight, as I sit safe and sound indoors while the thunder continuously rumbles outside, my artwork “Ready When You Are” comes to mind.
For the longest time, I’ve always pictured the unknown as a vast, suspiciously dark and calm ocean. The ominous thick clouds would be rolling in from the horizon. I would scan the sky to look for hints of lightning. There’s a particular scent, too. Have you ever noticed that you can smell if a storm is coming? I would take note of how strong this scent lingers in the air before the first raindrop falls. It’s that eerie, calm before the storm that makes me feel uneasy.
There is so much to say about how interesting our bodies react when we are scared. Our hearts beat faster as if trying to jump out of our chest. The lump in our throat gets bigger, choking the air out of our lungs. The ground becomes quicksand, ready to devour us whole. The anticipation about the whole situation feels excruciatingly unbearable! We are torn between wanting to break into a million pieces or to stay put and just get on with it.
This is the battle I faced when creating this stormscape art piece, “Ready When You Are”, back in 2022. It was a snapshot of how I was internally dealing with the fear of uncertainty during an important moment in my life. I was torn between letting go of a lifelong dream and accepting that maybe “this isn’t for me” or pushing forward into the unknown, despite all the unpredictable challenges along the way. I was quite aware that either decision would be very difficult - a storm that I had to face anyway. So I chose the path that is less taken even if it scared the wits out of me. I didn’t have a blueprint on how to navigate all of this. Each day felt like I was stumbling in the dark. This experience led me to channel all my fears and anxiety into art.
Snapshot - a few minutes after I finished this piece :)
Before the pandemic, I used to see art pieces exhibited in malls and daydreamed about the possibility of my artworks displayed beside them. It manifested for the first time in 2022, with “Ready When You Are” as my exhibit entry! It’s such a surreal experience reminiscing all the events that took place to make this piece. We are now in October 2024, and a lot of things have happened in a span of 2 years. “Malayo na, pero malayo pa.” All those worries that seemed so big back then now pale in comparison to the obstacles I’ve overcome and personal milestones I’ve achieved since.
Me with my first ever mall exhibit entry, "Ready When You Are"
Découvrir group exhibit by Art Show Philippines - Ayala Fairview Terraces, June 2022
If you are currently experiencing the overwhelming fear of the unknown, I hope you remember to take it one day at a time. Each one small step you take is still a path forward, even if it always doesn’t feel that way. The storm may be on the horizon, but you have always been ready.
—
The original 24 x 24 inch art piece “Ready When You Are” (2022) is still available. If you feel called to welcome this artwork in your space, kindly reach out to me.