Reflections in August: Art, Fear, and Finding Clarity

Reflections in August: Art, Fear, and Finding Clarity

It’s August, and I have just five more art fairs left in my 2025 calendar. As the year begins to wind down, I find myself reflecting more deeply—not just on my work, but on the emotional and social landscape I’ve been living through.

This has not been an easy year. As a Hispanic man under a new administration, fear seems to trail behind me like a shadow. Even those of us who are here legally are made to feel unsure, unwelcome. Something as natural as speaking Spanish—my first language—now feels like a taboo in certain places. It's a heavy feeling, like being a guest in your own country.

These fears don’t just follow me at the grocery store or in line at the DMV—they sneak into the studio and show up when I’m behind the camera. They interrupt the silence I usually need to create. But even through this fog of uncertainty, there have been moments of clarity. Relying on close friends for support, I’ve come to better understand the strength in community. I’ve learned the hard way that not everything gets handled perfectly. Some things I should have handled better, but I didn’t. Still, I grow.

When I speak with other artists, vendors, and people I meet at shows, I’m often reminded that I am fortunate in many ways. Some are dealing with so much more, with far fewer resources. I catch myself wondering: how do they keep going? Where does their strength come from?

What I have started to appreciate most is something simple: kindness. Human decency. Just being treated with respect, without suspicion or judgment. These small acts now feel huge to me. They restore something inside that this world often tries to take away.

This shift in how I see the world is also shifting how I see through the lens. I find myself drawn more and more to quiet moments. Reflections. Stillness. Simplicity. A simple life with less truly is more. Less distraction. Less noise. More peace. More presence.

I’m not sure yet what direction my art will take next. But I know it will change—because I am changing. The images I seek are no longer just about beauty or composition. They are about healing. About calm. About capturing something that helps me breathe easier and forget, even for a moment, the weight of the world.

This is the new compass guiding my work. And I welcome it.