As Valentine’s Day approaches I gaze into the chained heart of this painting and ask what's locked inside. Although superficially it serves as a reminder that loving without receiving love in return is painful, it doesn't explain why the heart is locked. Why can it not receive love? I sat listening without expectation and here is what I learned.

This heart holds aspects of the self that it's owner denies – parts they are ashamed to admit exist and that make them feel unworthy of love. For how can someone love them when they cannot love themselves? Now I understand that the “unrequited” aspect in the title refers, more deeply, to a longing to be connected with oneself. This painting suggests two keys can unlock this heart. The first is for its owner to recognize that these repressed aspects of self are features, not flaws. The second is the incorporation of practices that cultivate self-love.

This has nothing to do with the stuff you hide in your bedside table. Self-love practices are often simple. You can start with basic hygiene, healthy foods, and spending time with friends. When you're ready, try looking in a mirror, gazing into your own eyes and saying “I love you” with feeling. Yeah, I know its goofy, but its a legit neuro-psych hack and over time you'll believe and feel it. I'm still working on the practice of healthy boundaries which, for me, started with telling my inner critic to f**k off. There are many other simple, helpful practices you can try. You can even mix and match them to keep it fresh.

Remember that you hold the keys to the hidden treasures in your heart. Go see what's in there. You might just fall in love.

It was not, honestly, my intent to write a story for this piece. The sketch appeared as a doodle, in June of 2022, and sat tucked in my sketchbook for years. I thought most certainly it was one of the most obvious of visual stories, with it’s circular composition and my ever present Seeker following a rather emotional pair of pants with nobody inside them. The hand, so reminiscent of Picasso’s “la Petit Fleur”; Seuss’s pants; and the Dove, my homage to my Catholic enculturation. But alas, my viewers pressed me to the task of interpretation, so I wrote a story. But remember, my interpretation is not the be-all-end-all of my visual offerings. You, my savvy reader, have a spirit within you that will guide you to interpret what I paint in a way that is most helpful for your own journey. Be still and listen for the quietest, kindest, voice inside you, for that is the one that will help you find your way. With that in mind, I present below the Key to the iconography of Screw Loose and Fancy Free - Chasing the Material World, so that you may read the painting for yourself.

The Iconography

Bird and string – the thread to our higher consciousness is through the practice of Faith Hope and Charity.
Three screws – Body, mind, spirit
Running pants – the material world. Also a reference to Theodore Seuss’s What was I Scared of? a story about being afraid of the unknown. may also be interpreted as a life choice not taken because of fear inadequacies or potential outcome.
Green eyed flower – the physically manifested Seeker, those who are looking for their life purpose
The Seeker's Spine – the train of thought that advances and recedes our consciousness
Gears – moving parts of the physical world
Golden Key – astrology, through which we can learn how our character interacts with the environment
Water – unleashed emotions which can sometimes bring us to new understandings of our self
The Circular Picture Plane - in this story, representative of the cyclical nature of the portrayed narrative

But if you must know, my interpretation is HERE.

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