Three little monkeys. One loud world. A whole lot of peace to protect.
The Mindful Monkeys began in the most ordinary place, during one of my cleaning days at a vacation rental.
There they were. Three little decorative monkeys representing the familiar See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.
Something about them caught my eye.
So I did what I tend to do when something ordinary sparks my imagination. I took them outside, posed them, and photographed them.
I had absolutely no idea those three little statues were about to become something much bigger.
They became Blink, Hush, and Echo.
Blink reminds us that we get to choose what deserves our attention.
Hush reminds us that not every voice, opinion, criticism, or piece of noise deserves space inside our minds.
Echo reminds us that our words have power, and we get to choose what we send back into the world.
Together, they take the old idea of See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil and turn it into something deeply relevant to the beautifully chaotic world we live in now:
See less chaos.
Hear less noise.
Speak more peace.
Hear less noise.
Speak more peace.
And because life sometimes requires a little more sass:
See less bullshit.
Hear less drama.
Speak with intention.
Hear less drama.
Speak with intention.
The Mindful Monkeys are not about pretending darkness, pain, anger, grief, or hard things do not exist. They are about remembering that those things do not deserve to own every corner of our minds or every chapter of our lives.
Sometimes healing is deep and painful.
Sometimes it is finally setting a boundary.
Sometimes it is laughing at something completely ridiculous.
Sometimes it is standing beneath a huge sky, watching the ocean, wandering through wildflowers, turning up an old song, or realizing that after everything you have survived, you can still feel joy.
That is the world of Blink, Hush, and Echo.
Through my original photography and imagination, these three little monkeys travel through coastlines, mountains, deserts, gardens, different cultures, distant countries, nostalgic Gen X worlds, seasons, fantasy landscapes, and wherever else my imagination decides to send them next.
Every piece carries its own sentiment and its own little piece of wisdom, humor, hope, sass, or peace.
The scenery changes.
The message changes.
But the heart stays the same.
Protect your peace. Choose what you carry. Keep looking for the light. And never lose the part of yourself that can still find a little wonder in this crazy world.
Three ordinary statues became a photograph.
That photograph became art.
The art became a story.
And somewhere along the way, three little monkeys found their purpose.
Welcome to the world of the Mindful Monkeys.
Blink. Hush. Echo.
Created from an original photograph and a whole lot of imagination by Paxx.