My art process is meditative and repetitive. Each work requires many steps, and none of them are quick. Every artwork keeps my hands occupied for hours; during those hours my body relaxes and my brain slows down. It's a perfect time to let my brain wander over prickly problems so that I can observe my thoughts dispassionately.

I was in this flow state when my brain flashed on a way to process a problem that had been on my mind for months. Like most of the valley, I'd been following the news about a gang of violent teenagers with increasing grief and anger. If I made a work that focused on the way our leaders responded—and failed to respond—to these young men's crime spree, it would give me many fruitful hours for organizing my fears and concerns. 

My goal for this contemplation was to learn whether there was any part of this complex problem that rightfully belonged to me. I vowed to take action if I found ownership or lay this issue down if it wasn't mine to solve. Either way, I wanted to avoid the simplistic, reactionary thinking that follows as social media flattens issues and reduces them to memes and hot takes. I wanted to set aside time to think about the factors that lead to violence and the ways we react to it as a society. My conclusions are my own, and I hope that the calm I felt in making Goon Squad has created a quiet space for you to observe your thoughts.