When we open ourselves up to the infinite possibilities contained within our minds, we are able to create functional changes in our lives. In Mental Mindset Monsters, we see a collection of ceramic monsters, a truck car door, and stained glass that embody the intersections of my interests: earth minerals and brain health. My creative process starts at the potter's wheel with an open slate, as I work the ancient material clay through my hands while manifesting the unlimited possibilities contained in each moment. The molecules and particles that make it possible to create this body of work have passed through time, developing the plasticity that allows them to be formed into the objects seen here. Through the process of focusing attention, making mistakes, and ample sleep, this body of work has fundamentally transformed my fixed mindset to one of growth. The neuroplasticity of the human brain enables the shift from a mindset of negative self-restraint to one of vast self-empowerment, possibility, and opportunity. 

Clay, metal, glass, and brains have plasticity; ironically, none of them contain naturally occurring synthetic polymers. As clay is rehydrated with water, and as metal and glass are heated, they become flexible – allowing the objects to take on the forms that express the artist’s mindset. When we make mistakes while attempting a novel activity, we activate brain neuroplasticity, which helps to change our mindsets. Throwing the clay on the wheel pulls me into the center of my consciousness, and the clay pulls my inner monsters to the surface. The faces expose themselves through a conversation between clay and my inner voice as each monster expresses a different emotion. 

Mental Mindset Monsters conveys many deep-seated biases that are intertwined within our collective consciousness, such as our attachments and association with material branding as a way to establish our surface identity. My art invites the viewer to reach outside of their comfort zone and transform their bodies, minds, and environment. I have a strong belief that the inner work of individuals can and will manifest change that shows up in our personal and global environment; that this work will create a world brimming with peace, hope, and profound connections between our cultures.