This piece centers on Echinacea paradoxa, the yellow coneflower—a prairie native known for its golden reflexed petals and resilient nature. In the language of flowers, it speaks of healing, endurance, and the quiet strength of those who turn toward light. Its composite bloom, formed from many florets, becomes a metaphor for layered identity.
The textured background—washed in violet, ember, and dusk tones—draws from my evening walks with my pup, through the neighborhood of my new home of Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota. After long days, these walks offer a rhythm of reflection: the flicker of porch lights, scent of late-summer blooms, the steps between belonging and becoming. The splashes and speckles mimic the unpredictability of it all.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
