The Art of Striving

The Story Behind The Art of Striving

This painting is about motion—but not just any motion. It’s about that restless push we all know too well. The trying. The effort. The striving.

The Art of Striving captures a moment frozen in that tension. A horse, mid-turn, body caught between resistance and release. There’s beauty in the curve of its form, but also a kind of unease—as if it’s not sure whether to move forward or stay locked in place.

I started this piece during a season when I was pushing hard to find answers—to fix what felt broken in my life and body. I thought if I just worked harder, tried more, did better, I could make everything right. But the more I pushed, the emptier I felt.

As the painting took shape, I began to realize how often striving looks beautiful on the outside—like progress, like purpose—but underneath, it’s often just fear disguised as effort. The soft, swirling pastels and loose, unfinished marks reflect that same tension—movement that looks light, but feels heavy when you’re carrying it alone.

This horse isn’t fully free.
It isn’t fully stuck either.
It’s caught in the art of striving—the illusion that effort alone will lead us home.

Part of The Firmament Collection, this mixed media and oil piece carries a gentler palette than much of the collection, but its message is one I’ve had to wrestle with over and over again:
You don’t have to strive to be worthy.
You don’t have to earn what’s already yours.
Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stop pushing and let grace carry you the rest of the way.

Specifications:

Series: Firmament, Duality of Transformation

Medium: Mixed Media

Size: 11”x14”

Framed original mixed media oil painting on gallery wrapped canvas. Ready to hang.