Let It Go (No, Really): A Portrait of Holding On, Moving Forward, and That Awkward Bit in Between

That gut-pulling feeling - the push and pull of holding on versus moving forward. This is called ‘Let it Go’, and it’s all about that inner battle: clinging to the past, gripping onto those fading fragments, while knowing - deep down - you have to let them drift away.

I used messy strokes and blurred edges - like memories just slipping through your fingers. But then there’s the face, clear and sharp, grounded in the now, staring ahead at whatever comes next. Because that’s the point, isn’t it? We do move forward. We have to.

This piece is about celebrating what was, and finding the courage to release it.

'Let it Go'

Oil pastel, Posca pen, and Indian ink on cotton rag.

Johnny Larran, 2024.