Jean-Paul Goude is a French graphic designer. This featured artwork was done for Harper’s BAZAAR.
One night last week, I was enjoying a quiet evening by myself at a restaurant on Wailoaloa beach. I chose a table on the outdoor deck so I could watch the sun as it came down from its daily ride to kiss the horizon once again. There was a table of four young women near me and vague bits of their conversation drifted to my ears, all of them speaking in various accents and sharing stories of their travels. One of them spoke with excitement to the others. She said, “To be sensitive, it’s the best quality ever.” Her words made me smile. They came at the exact moment that I needed them.
Sensitivity is how we know we are connected to everything in the natural world, which means we could never be separate from nature or the sensuality of it. Sensitivity is a sign of being in tune with the subtleties of life. To be sensitive is to feel and be present with the world as you experience it. It’s a very human quality. Imagine if everyone had an outlet to express their innermost selves… Imagine if we were all taught ways to process, understand and release our emotions… Sometimes we don’t have words for the subtleties but we still sense them. We recognize them by their feeling. Our senses are the guiding compass that teach us how to navigate. Being sensitive means that you can read the map as it’s shown to you, moment by moment. So, You the Explorer…
You have the right to remain wild. You have the right to express yourself. You have the right to keep questioning. You have the right to change your mind. You have the right to choose your beliefs. You have the right to walk an unknown path. You have the right to choose what makes you feel most alive. You have the right to create, to innovate, to dream, to imagine more. You have the right to trust yourself, to know yourself, first and foremost.
Enjoy your passion in as many ways as possible and as much as you can.
With love,
Viv
