The Art of Symbols

Making Meaning in a Culture of Chaos

If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you like art, astrology, or both. You’re a seeker of something to uplift your mind and spirit, to see beyond the mundane and connect the dots of existence like notes on a sheet of music until everything is humming in tune.

Perhaps you’re an artist yourself. We artists are connoisseurs of inspiration, always after the next key that will unlock the russian nesting doll of our creative unfolding.

Welcome to Aha Moments - a collection of revelations, insights, and stories to energize your inner artist.

I’m Sarah. I’m a photo artist and meaning maker. I started this publication because I like to write about art, but not in the stuffy, academic “clever use of juxtaposition” kind of way. (I do love a good juxtaposition.) But in the “this hits me right in the heart and speaks to my real, lived experience” kind of way. I’ve been writing about my own art over on instagram for several years now, and I regularly receive feedback from folks telling me that they look forward to the words I share as much as the images. In writing for art, I aim to draw out a story that is both deeply personal as well as broadly universal, those things that define our human experience and make us feel connected to each other and the world.

Below are a few favorites from the past few years:

“Depollute Me”, Sarah Aha Conceptual Photo Art, October 2021
Self-portrait

I find myself overcome with grief for my younger self, and all of us really, as we learn growing up that we have to abandon ourselves to be loved.

We all do that, right? To some degree or another… and when we finally realize and come home to ourselves one small bit at a time, there is grief. Reconciliation. It’s heavy.

This image is inspired by this song by Leith Ross… it speaks to the medicine of pure, focused, loving attention free from desire or judgement. This kind of attention is, in my estimation, the most healing force on the planet and the greatest gift we can offer another person… an invitation to come home to themselves in our presence.

“Love is the quality of attention we pay to things.” -JD McClatchy

“Waters of Sisyphus” Sarah Aha Conceptual Photo Art, August 2023, Norway
model: Laney Sullivan

They say things have always been this bad, we just are more aware of it now…. We’re more honest, more educated, more connected, more empowered than ever before in human history.

Cleaning up our mess is always a labor of love… to clean the dishes only to dirty them again. Some days it feels like a meaningless and exhausting exercise in futility… other days it feels like a dinner party with old friends and wine and candles.

When I look at the state of the world and the muck we are mired in, I also see love. I see people cleaning knowing it will always be dirty in hopes of another dinner party someday soon. I see artists noticing the beauty of this life amidst all the mess we’ve made.

“Solar Center” Sarah Aha Conceptual Photo Art, March 2024
models: Sisterhood of Sirens

Our inherent interconnected nature, now externalized through a World Wide Web, is bringing us closer to the singularity of information and intelligence. We are throttling towards a paradigm which levels the playing field and no longer gives an elite few the power to control our collective narrative and mythology.

Trying to stop the revolution now is like trying to put a cat back in a bag except the cat is millions of feral human beings unwilling to accept anything less than our full power and birth right: the right to peace, freedom and full autonomy.

We have everything on this planet to create heaven on earth. Those who would rather create violence and war to build their own wealth will be exposed for what they are: small, sad, weak little creatures who lack the heart and imagination to build a world based on mutual curiosity and respect rather than hierarchy and subjugation.

Sometimes it feels like I can lift my head up beyond the surface of this current story to see a new one unfolding. We can’t give up now.

“End of the Line” Sarah Aha Conceptual Photo Art, April 2024
Drone self-portrait

Some ideas may find another outlet to plug into and find expression. Some may die with you.

It’s easy to feel like our words and work don’t matter. Image and information over-saturation… everything has already been said, already been made, and better than we ever could. Why add to the noise?

I’m a fairly quiet person. I hang back in group social settings, never beg for attention that’s not freely given. Yet I feel consistently compelled to create and share the beauty I find that makes my life worth living. There will never be a moment like this again, and I am the only one witnessing it from this particular point in space and time.

Your unique perspective lives and dies with you, and it may just be the lifeline for someone else.

The Power of Symbolism and Its Effect on the Subconscious Mind

I love writing about art for the same reason I love reading about astrology: symbolic imagery, archetype, and meaning. There is something deeply satisfying about connecting the part of my brain that daydreams in movies and pictures and the part of my brain that delineates, one word at a time, a cohesive story that helps life make sense. Drawing out the symbolism from imagery often evokes a powerful narrative that offers me wisdom and insight, much like an astrology or tarot reading.

Symbolism plays a powerful role in conveying meaning beyond what is immediately visible. Symbols communicate directly with the subconscious mind, the part of us that processes emotions, memories, and archetypes, which works through images and emotions rather than logical thought. They are able to bypass our analytical thinking and tap into the core of our emotions and instincts, making them a potent tool for evoking buried feelings and previously unimaginable ideas.

Many symbols hold universal meanings—such as the hero, the mother figure, or the shadow—which psychologist Carl Jung referred to as archetypes. These are deeply ingrained in our collective unconscious, shared by humanity regardless of individual background. When we encounter these archetypes in art, they stir something deep within us and foster a profound sense of belonging and connection. We may feel alone in some of the more challenging or even shameful aspects of our existence, but offering up our truth to the collective will often draw out many unexpected comrades who resonate deeply with our experience.

The subconscious also communicates with us through symbols in dreams, giving us insight into our hidden thoughts and feelings. In art, this dreamlike quality can make images even more compelling, as it reflects the deep, often mysterious workings of the human mind and allows us to soften in a more accepting, less rigidly defined concept of reality.

What makes symbolism even more fascinating is that everything has a symbolic interpretation. A random object, shape, or color can take on personal or collective meaning based on how it’s used or perceived. A simple stone could symbolize endurance or stability, other times it could represent a burden or baggage dragging us down, depending on the context. Over time, we assign meaning to things that hold significance to us, whether in personal experience, cultural stories, or artistic expression. This flexibility allows symbols to evolve and take on deeper meanings, which is especially important as our modern world changes so rapidly in its visual landscape.

Making Meaning in a Culture of Chaos

It’s hard to make sense of what is happening in the world today. We have access to such vast streams of information with anything and everything available at our fingertips in an instant. In such an information-dense time, bypassing our thinking mind and connecting through the beautiful and arcane world of imagery, symbolism, poetry and myth helps us remember what it means to be human.

We’re not robots (yet).

Here I will be taking the opportunity to write about not just my art, but that of my peers, inspirations, strangers from across the world.

We are the meaning makers. We are not passive consumers. And when we share our story, we start to see the parallels, notice the patterns, and unlock new levels of understanding.

I hope you will accept these offerings as “art readings.” Take what you need, leave the rest.

Art Reading for October 4

“Window of Opportunity” Sarah Aha Conceptual Photo Art, September 2024
model: Pixie

The way out is not through those things you’re holding onto so tightly.

More love does not come through greater control.

The house you have built is made of empty space.

Don’t even lift your limp limbs, sore from clutching, over the threshold.

There is no window, there is no door.

Let go and the illusion will shatter before you.

In love and inspiration,

Sarah