Art to Inspire

Facing Fears

Inspiration for this Sketch:
Fear can manifest in our lives as perhaps fear of crowds or fear of heights; it can raise its ugly head in many ways. Facing our fears really needs us to see the root of all fears in material existence - The idea that someone other than Krishna should be in control or is in control and perhaps that someone could be me?

Mantra Inspiration:
bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād

Freedom

Inspiration for this Sketch:

Recent inflation and job cuts have people feeling squeezed under so many pressures. Now more than ever, people yearn for a soul connection. A space for freedom in our lives.

The Race for the Top - Is this What Life is Meant For?

Inspiration for this Sketch:
I understand there is struggle for everyone in life. But as human's do we have a choice about what we struggle for? Are we using that choice wisely? I did race to the top - but is it fun to be here - is that the feeling I strived so hard for?

Inspirational Quote:
The servant (of Supreme) is trying to be the master and that is called the rat race of material existence.

Going Full Steam Ahead, To Where?

Inspiration for this Sketch:
Sometimes we are trying to drive a large ship with engines turned off and torn sails and this can be extremely difficult. Same way sometimes we pile up so much in our lives with no refueling for the soul, just full throttle and we wonder why we feel lost.

Inspiration Mantra:
nṛ-deham ādyaṁ su-labhaṁ su-durlabhaṁ
plavaṁ su-kalpaṁ guru-karṇadhāram
mayānukūlena nabhasvateritaṁ
pumān bhavābdhiṁ na taret sa ātma-hā

Cycle of Life

Inspiration for this Sketch:
Meditating on gratitude and recognizing that although we like to believe that we are independent units of enjoyment, actually we live highly interconnected lives. So many factors have to line up perfectly for us to thrive, so we are indebted.

Inspiration Mantra:
devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṝṇāṁ
na kiṅkaro nāyam ṛṇī ca rājan
sarvātmanā yaḥ śaraṇaṁ śaraṇyaṁ
gato mukundaṁ parihṛtya kartam

Scars of Life

Inspiration for this Sketch:

Real beauty lies in facing, not concealing the scars of life. This was sparked from a conversation with my friends about make up can help hide things, so you look "beautiful". I thought, really?

Real Wealth

Inspiration for this Sketch:
I could see my friend who has not much in his bank, but he would so generously give anything to anyone without ever giving them an opportunity to ask. I was thinking, he is probably experiencing what it truly means to be rich because being saintly he has the wealth of detachment and can share everything he has and it dawned that the real taste of being rich is in the ability to give, not take and accumulate.

Mantra Inspiration:
dadāti pratigṛhṇāti

Who is the Winner?

Inspiration for this Sketch:

When all we care about is winning, we all lose. Sometimes it is not about who is right, but about what is right.

Controller and Controlled

Inspiration for this Sketch:
I was inspired to draw this right after a surprise snowstorm as I could see people walk out of their homes trying to maneuver their dogs with the leach in their hands and I wondered if people could see the grip of time on our own necks after being locked down indoors for 3 days. You think you are controlling someone by a leach while time has you on leach that you can't even see. Rather than trying to control others around us, better if we can just control our mind and senses.

Mantra Inspiration:
kālo ’smi loka-kṣhaya-kṛit pravṛiddho

The Burning Flames Point to the Limitless Stars

Inspiration for this Sketch:
When things seem to fall apart and your efforts burn away, you have a choice. You can lament while lost in the flames, or you can follow the flames as they reach out and point to the limitless stars of possibilities that the sky presents.

Mantra Inspiration:
nabhaḥ patanty ātma-samaṁ patattriṇas

Whose Dreams am I Living?

Inspiration for this Sketch:

Over the years, I noticed, so many people put so many expectations on us and somehow carrying the burden of everyone's expectations, morphing to fit in, we forget who we are. Are we living our dreams or someone else's dreams?

Mantra Inspiration:

asa-pasa-satair baddhah
kama-krodha-parayanah
ihante kama-bhogartham
anyayenartha-sancayan

Holding on to the Illusion

Inspiration for this Sketch:

On my flight to India as I was reading Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, I thought it is amazing how Krishna is giving us some of the most delicious offers from the spiritual world and even though we are little attracted and we are thinking, ah this might be nice, yet we have a tight grip on this illusory world and droning our work suits gives us a false sense of being in control of our happiness, and so we foolishly cling on to the illusion.

Inspiration Mantra:

ekalā mālākāra āmi kata phala khāba
nā diyā vā ei phala āra ki kariba