@billystrings The Academy Dublin, Ireland 12/9/22 18x24 5 color Screen print “Well all I know is everything I've learned And if I'm changing that's the reason that I'll turn Into someone I can trust Before I turn back into dust There's an answer but I wouldn't be concerned Out of everything I've seen and all I've heard And everywhere I've been around the whole wide world There's still something I can't find I've been lost within my mind Since you fell out of my sight without a word Well I thought I knew it all Till I crashed into the wall Let me learn from my mistakes And try to pick up all the pieces” Earlier this year I began researching my ancestry which I found interesting. Soon after, Billy Strings announced a Dublin date. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger. A week later, my grandmother who was a second generation Irish immigrant, passed on to the next realm. What started as a trip to the Emerald Isle, turned into a sacred pilgrimage to spread my grandmother’s ashes and dance with the ghosts of my ancestors. The rough idea for this print sat in my mind for many months after truly "feeling" the song “Know It All'. At that time I wasn't sure how the image would manifest. I intended to write a long, introspective artist statement about the psychology of the castle, how it represents the ego, and how our ancestry is part of that ego. I later observed the irony of wanting to push an interpretation on others. The artist should not interfere with how others perceive things, rather we are here to inspire the observer's perception. This song in particular beautifully captures my journey towards self actualization. My personal quest has given me a deeper understanding of the transient nature of ego (crumbling castle) and how that leads to oneness with the universal life force. I mined the deep darkness of my psyche for this piece to reveal itself, and it brings me great joy to finally share it with the world.