Eight of Swords

“My life is like a difficult puzzle, and I seem to have lost the answer sheet.”

Vision

An aimless girl sits on the platform of an abandoned train station. To the left, a large stone represents a problem from the past. Pressing heavily on the railway tracks that lead to distant places, it may be the cause of the station’s abandonment. Obsolete carriages are stacked up, mirroring my endless yet futile attempts to change my life, each ending in absurd failure. Yet, in the distance, the comforting glow of a lighthouse reaches even this forsaken spot, illuminating a path for those seeking guidance.

Message

I wanted to convey both an external impasse and internal disorientation in one scene. I decided to turn the station platform, which typically represents the start of a journey, into a dead end that can no longer usher in new life. The fallen signpost at the girl’s feet reveals various factors that keep her anchored in this place. Perhaps she hasn’t found a direction, or maybe she’s still grappling with the outcome. She needs some time to process the disappointment and fatigue in her chest, or maybe she’s waiting for someone to rescue her.

Keywords

deadlocks | defined limits | invisible oppression | self-imposed limits | walking into dead ends