Inspired by a dryad (a tree spirit in Greek mythology), and my love of nature and trees, this figure has her roots firmly in the ground while she is reaching and moving in an uplifted way, her face to the sky. Her garb flows effortlessly from tree to fabric to the suggestion of wings. The contrast of roots and wings adds to the meaning of the piece. She is growing from the knowledge of her past, firm in who she is. She uses this knowledge to transcend and rise out of her circumstances. I came across a saying, "humans have a root problem." Unlike trees, who must stay and adapt to wind and weather, we aren't forced to deal with our decisions and their consequences, often thinking the solution is to run away from them instead of staying and learning. Balance comes not from rising above but from learning to live somewhere in the middle, with the knowledge our increased perspective allows, both from looking back and moving forward. Living in the world while waiting on our wings to grow.