Circular Thinking

Circles are a repeated motif in Charmaine’s artwork, where she explores growing up in a cult that discouraged independent thought. “Circular Thinking” is at its core a question & answer. Charmaine’s art shows concentric, ever-tightening circles within circles that are fenced in. The central floral design represents a blooming curiosity about God and religion...but growing up Charmaine’s questions were treated as taboo. She was told that overthinking is a problem, and she should stop asking “why” questions about God. Margaret’s poem puts the same experience into words, with gentle rhyme and rhythm drawing inspiration from the patterns of breath, thought, and the heartbeat. To ask “why” is a...View all