“I’ve spent much of my life transient and this experience [has inspired my work]. I was born in the United States but spent the majority of my childhood and adolescent years in Nairobi, Kenya. Even my first year of university was outside of the United States in London, England. Often when I was growing up I felt caught somewhere between fitting in and terribly out of place. That feeling didn’t change in or out of the United States. I believe it is precisely this lack of a “home” that inspires me to search out people with common experiences. The act of hearing others’ stories of struggle, movement and self-awareness gives me a sense of community. It is in their experiences that I find myself—not because our stories are the same but because I relate to the emotions they have.” –Movement of People by Jon Helfers.
