It’s hard to know what to say when people are hurting. For me, it’s easier to draw what I’m feeling than to say it. I wanted to make something that was a visualization of empathy — what would it look like to magically lift away the pain and promote healing? “Healing is a very individual process. My own experience is that nature heals. So I draw upon elements found in the natural world — wildlife, plant forms, water, sunlight. It’s the seasonal cycles and changes that make us so aware — spring rains, bird song, opening seed heads. To me, they are an affirmation of hope, rebirth, renewal. “On this box, the gestures of giving and receiving suggest a story about healing. I hope that viewers can find meaning in the symbols and figures, and discover what is healing to them.” —Susan Lordi