What attracts me to ‘the ripple of water’ symbol is the way it’s a naturally occurring mandala.

It also reminds me of the Native American story, which goes something like this:

A small boy walks through the woods with an elder from his tribe. The wise elder leads him to a small pool of water and asks the boy to choose a stone. The boy does this and then, as requested by his teacher, he throws the stone into the centre of the pool. Immediately the stone’s impact causes the water to ripple outwards. The elder says to the boy ‘ imagine you are this stone, notice the impact you make on the world around you.’ The young boy sees the ripples moving outwards from the centre and thinks about how his actions affect those around him. The elder then asks the boy to look down at his feet. The boy once again follows his elder’s instructions and sees that where the water’s edge was once a few paces away, the water now gently laps his feet. The elder says to the boy ‘think on the impact you make in this world, your actions will reach outwards to touch others and yet with time, they will also come back to touch you.’

Photo Credit: Ronan Johns

Instead of water, I have chosen to use paint - a single drop of paint rippling outwards. This expresses the way art assists people to make a bright, colourful and meaningful impact on their inner and outer worlds.  From a business perspective, this single drop of paint symbolises me – my personal and professional approach. The colour represents the meaning behind my work. As it ripples outwards, it also brings richness to the individuals and groups of people I work with. And yes, just like the water lapping the young boys feet, the paint will colour my world – so in this way I remain accountable and responsible for the mark I continue make.