Outlet, In.

When people ask, 'what do you do?', It often generates this default response of a job they don't really enjoy. It's a sad thing really, when you ask someone this question, hoping to see their eyes light up with excitement and feel their energy pick up, and all you get is a reluctant, bland, unintrigued, rehearsed, and oppressed response.

So many people now are occupying their time with things they don't enjoy. Working a job they feel unfulfilled at, doing things out of habit and tradition- should and should-nots- rather than what their mind and body yearn to do. People (are taught to) suppress these desires.

You could probably trace this back through history, how we used to do things out of necessity- with no other choice. In America, the Great Depression, and World Wars. The pursuit of the American Dream. Building a life for one's family. And so on.

But now, we have the privilege of choice. Why don't we jump for it? We can choose to work our bodies into the ground, or go to school and use our brains. Do we realize that we have a choice to put shoes on, or go barefoot? To take a car or bike. We live in luxury without realizing it. So why do we choose to do something every day, that we don't really enjoy? As a population, this generations' rates of stress, depression, anxiety, and a host of mental struggles are the highest they have ever been. Weird- considering most of the American people don't have to act out of necessity. It's almost like; now we have the luxury of validating how we feel, we have time to think and worry, and as a result, we create a more stressful life.

It's sad to see that in the business-consumer-capitalistic-America that we now live in, we have inflated the one true, original, form of currency: our time. Like The First American said, "Time is money." Our time should be the most precious thing we keep. It is all we really have. It is what we choose to do with our time that makes up our life. So why do so many give it away so quick, for such a low yield? Where along the lines did the individual lose their desire to unleash their creative and unique potential?

I'm 19 years old. Before I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to take some time to figure out what I want to do in my lifetime. It has been a year and I still don't know what I want to do. But, I do have an idea of what I don't want to end up doing. And I have obtained some knowledge of what I enjoy.

I enjoy taking care of myself and learning how to do that in a fun way, by choosing what I put into my body. I want to experience life in my body, through my senses. I need clean fuel to do this. I enjoy learning about nutrition and how to feed myself best. While I make food, I feel a great sense of fulfillment. Nurturing my body and mind in a way that sustains the earth energizes me- literally. In every step- from gathering my food, to cutting the beautiful vegetables and plating them in a way that pleasures my senses, to capturing a version of their beauty in a photo I can share with others- I feel a vital purpose and creative expression. I know that what I made is unique and will be enjoyed. Loved.

In the kitchen, I get to utilize and play with the gifts that Earth gives us. I am somewhat picky about what I prepare as I want to nourish myself, but this clashes with my ability to see a use for nearly everything. Often, I find myself making things I'm not necessarily excited about because I want to save some produce and love them. I enjoy this challenge. I consider my chef knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, and cast iron to be my proverbial paintbrushes. Their friends are my paring knife, shears/scissors, and grater. Whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables are the paints. I love my art. This medium is one that pleasures more than one sense and is a beautiful gift (to myself and others) when I get to share it.

My inspiration comes from the beauty that surrounds me and my experience. From the other vegetables and beans and sauces. It's like I can see them talking to each other, wondering if they'll ever be friends. Then I put them together in various environments and hope they get along. I get inspired whenever I see food. I would often drive 30 minutes away in my early teens just to walk through the grocery store aisles. I would see and learn about new things each time I went. The limited ethnic aisle was my favorite. I felt safe there, my presence felt welcome- it was a space I felt safe to dream in. Sometimes I would get a few things, and then stay up into the odd hours of the morning making something crazy. Something others would put off for another time, a better time. Something not worth their time. Something that sometimes failed. But something that I felt was necessary.

I think a lot of my initial inspiration came from my childhood. I grew up in a family with five siblings and my dad's worry of not being able to put bread on our table. So I ate what we had. I grew up not wondering what I should make, but rather, what I could make. With things we already had. I compare what we ate then to what the typical American diet consists of now, and overwhelmingly know I was truly blessed.

My heart hurts for everyone who doesn't have access to clean food. Those who can't afford to make good food- food to nourish their mind and bodies. I cook in the way that I do, hoping I will be able to share it with less fortunate people one day. People who are misinformed and uneducated about these things. So, others can learn from my experience, and we can all grow from it.

My inspiration comes from my hope for a better future. Nourishing myself today, so I can help nourish others in an exponential way tomorrow.

More photos of my art on my Instagram @check_my_plates