Lex III: For Every Action
“For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction”
The reality of Newton’s Laws affecting my daily life were the inspiration for these posters.
(I skipped the second law because it’s an equation and I didn’t have a great idea for moving forward with it.)
I wanted to combine the mechanics of physics (rockets to the stars) with the gracefulness of physics (dancer). And let me be real clear, I know just enough about physics to make me dangerous. And my level of grace delivers about the same amount of danger.
One of my favorite things I’ve done in my life is visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. From this campus on the side of the mountain, they keep track of all the satellites sailing through spaces hundreds of miles above us. They talk to the stars! One of my favorite movies as a kid was October Sky. It’s about Homer Hickam, a boy from a coal mining town in West Virginia who dreams of going into space. He learns the math it takes to create rockets. The amount of dedication and discipline it took to get out of his situation deserves to be recognized.
Like many little girls, I wanted to be a ballerina. I dreamt of wearing a tutu, moving and spinning in beautiful lines across the room. Alas that wouldn’t be, but I’m still enamored by the artistry and the strength it takes to makes it look so effortless. The amount of discipline a ballerina or any athlete puts into their craft deserves some recognition.
On face value rockets and dancers are complete opposites, but yet they are also so alike. It takes discipline and precision to launch heavenward. It’s the idea of discipline that I keep going back to.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
If I know I want a certain reaction in my life, I need to put in an action that’s going to be move me in that direction. I may not end up exactly where I want to be, but if I stay in stasis or in rest, I’m not going to end up anywhere.
I won’t go quietly.
My decision to create these posters and write these essays is an act of discipline and defiance against fear.
My prayer is that my action turns into bigger actions that benefits others not just myself. That discipline wouldn’t be seen as a 4 letter word. That the pain of discipline, denying ourselves the things we want in the present would lead us to the better result we want in the future. That these everyday decisions matter. Now let’s see if I remember that at 5am tomorrow morning (the trick is giving myself the rest I need the night before.)
(As a side note, I think the results of Newton’s Laws are forgotten in our culture too. We want the results of the work without doing the work. We somehow think there aren’t consequences to our actions or inactions. There very much is and no amount of legislation or denying it can protect us from that fact. We will suffer or benefit from the actions and discipline we put or don’t put into motion.)
The Posters
I’m really proud of these posters in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever been proud of my work before.
All of the images came from unsplash.com and I manipulated from there.
Lex III: For Every Action
The black and white one (Lex III) is the first one I made. Unlike anything else I’ve created, it came quick and easy. It’s an image of rocket launch and an image of a dancer composited together and then mirrored. It’s not an exact mirror on purpose in retaliation of my perfectionistic tendencies.
Lex I: A Body At Rest
The color one (Lex I) gave me a little more trouble. I may have overworked it, but I had so much fun playing and I’m still happy with the end result. I wanted to encourage the idea of movement - a reaction and action - with the nebula serpentining through the dancer.
Inspiration
I follow and am inspired by a lot of creators. These are a few of the artists that were influential in the creation of this series.
Carolyn is a thinker doing her best to be a doer.
She works with brands and individuals to create story driven experiences to engage the world.
In less metaphorical language, she helps build logos, websites, videos, content and spaces that engage the right audience.
