This person feels hopeful.

Hope is looking forward to enjoying the company of whanau who this person doesn’t get to see often. Even rarely in the scheme of things, and especially mokopuna / grandchildren for the first time. And even more special when said mokopuna have been at school for almost a couple of years.

Even though a few days, in the scheme of things feels like minutes, and each moment becomes so special, as it has to, as that crystal ball seems always out of action and in for it’s seemingly eternal service, and don’t even mention the magic wand; haven’t seen that for so long this person cannot remember what it looks like. So those memories have to live on, with prompts from images made. Those final moments together at the airport remain engraved and keep on keeping on.

Hope is working towards treats that for us is usually a trip to either somewhere old, somewhere new, though often a combination of both. The work, if you could call it that, of reading maps and studying intently aerial images in a search of bush reserves for podocarps, lagoons and swamps full of life. Of planning ‘n logistics, with contingencies, plans b and c, all towards keeping old memories alive and making new ones.

Hope is keeping the movements happening for as long as we can, and in doing so, making life easier for now and later. The fence is the boundary that for this person often gets crossed, with repercussions that may last days.

Have always to maintain perspective, to always remember that there are always people out there who have greater challenges, losses and suffer more, with less, and perhaps even alone – this helps to keep it real. No matter the pain, the suffering, friends are undergoing treatment for their lives, and that can be quite grounding, not that this person requires any reset. It’s all about respect, for all and others at all times.

We all have our ways of dealing with rough tough days. Means and ways of dealing with life, and one of this person’s methods is art, be it visual or music… particularly the 70’s – 80’s. Many of the lyrics, especially music that has so much depth that it is art (especially from the 70’s – 80’s) in its own right is an escape.

It’s another hope from during the working week, for something to look forward to: weekends of art, of pieces of peace and tranquil times, of being HottriggeredKiwi. It is of combining a love of music while designing and making images. Though there is always hope in colours within an infinite scale of shades of grey, an eternal hope is a sky full of beautifully structured clouds in stormy light and character-filled skies of beautiful structures of clouds.