As with many of my anthropomorphic paintings, this also doubles as a self-portrait into my own life’s journey. I live in an area where sloths abound, and have always imagined them as wise and conscientious in their slow, deliberate ways. Not to mention perpetually happy with their constant smiling. So, I decided to use him as a symbol for my own journey through a recent time where I found myself feeling somewhat lost, grieving and uninspired. The ‘medicine’ that I used to help me through it was first of all a returning to my own personal art after almost 2 years hiatus. This painting is the first one I created after starting again. The other tool I turned to was a regimen of psilocybin microdosing (hence the mushroom cap). The emotional and mental shifts have been profound and sustained. Between these two things, I’ve come away with greater level of wisdom, peace and renewed purpose. I feel as if I’ve graduated to a new level in my life. And, ideally this painting can also be a reminder to anyone out there to move your own life into the next phase of mastery.