It's in my nature to need space.

Part of The Comfort House Project: Stay as long as you like

This linocut reduction print features a fantasy room for Zack: an exterior space brought interior, perfect for quiet meditation.

All of the prints on dark green paper that make up the foundation of the house are occupied by members of my nuclear family. Zachary is my brother. I interviewed him about comfort while we were both at home for the holidays. I was a bit nervous because, in the past, we had taken very different approaches to comfort, with Zack often talking about getting out of his comfort zone. Early in our conversation, he made the distinction between "good comfort" and "bad comfort", one leaving him reassured and confident, and the other vaguely guilty. I think we can all relate to that. Zack's most healing comfort comes from taking a walk by himself in which the destination is less important than being present in the moment. Zack describes feeling comforted as having a recharged social battery and renewed energy to be his authentic self (rather than people-pleasing). He describes seeking "good comfort" as counter-intuitive and wishes it were a little easier to want what is good for you. 

In the space I created for him, Zack crouches by a small stream, his camera held loosely as he contemplates the moving water. The trees, bushes, and ground cover around him are the fresh green of spring. I drew this imaginary scene from a number of photos that Zack shared with me from his own photography practice. Not far away is a greenhouse, less green than the area around it. Drawn on it, as if with a finger on fogged glass, are Zack's tattoos. You can just make out the golden ratio, a leaf, a triangle, the symbol phi, and the word "calm".