Have you ever felt the world push against you so hard that you thought about stopping?
Not quitting exactly, just stopping. Pausing. Waiting it out until things feel safer, easier, clearer.

That’s exactly how it felt painting “Uri”, named after the relentless winter storm that hit Texas back in 2021. I remember standing by my window in Argyle, watching snow pile higher than I’d ever imagined possible—thick, relentless, quiet but unyielding. It got down to zero degrees Fahrenheit, which, if you know Texas, is basically nature shouting, “I’m serious this time.”

But there I was, paintbrush in hand, canvas stretched in front of me, deciding not to stop—not even to pause. Every color, every line was me saying to the storm, “You do your thing, I’ll do mine.” And something magical happened: The harsher the storm, the bolder the colors became. The colder the air, the louder the patterns shouted back.

When I look at this painting now, living in Nampa, Idaho, I smile at how naive I was to think I’d never see snow like that again. Life has a funny way of reminding us we can’t control the weather—outside or inside. But what we can control is our persistence, our willingness to move forward, brushstroke after brushstroke, no matter what chaos spins around us.

Persistence isn’t about stubbornness. It’s about grace under pressure. It’s about saying, “I might bend, but you won’t break me.” It’s about recognizing that storms pass, snow melts, and spring always returns—maybe even brighter than before, because now we know what we can handle.

“Uri” isn’t just paint on a canvas—it’s a conversation with adversity, captured in vibrant defiance. It’s a reminder that we’re stronger than whatever storm we’re facing.

And it’s proof that sometimes, the greatest warmth comes from the fire you choose to keep burning within yourself, even when the world freezes around you.

-N Mokashi
MokashiArt.com