In Search of Cloud 9

Acrylic on canvas.

20x30x1"

If only I had ___, then I’d be happy. A partner. More money. More things. It’s a familiar formula in our pursuit of joy and fulfillment. But this outward focus often overlooks the inner world—the internal compass that quietly shapes how we experience life.

There is a different kind of reward available: a gentle dopamine hit born from self-love, presence, and attention. Sometimes Cloud Nine isn’t found in striving, but in stillness—in sitting quietly, following the breath, and listening to the world as it moves around us.