An unexpected visit to the Musem

Sarah was lying in bed, in her vintage luxury apartment in Kensington, covered by a yellow fluffy blanket enjoying a vanilla chai cup of tea, in the company of her fancy Chartreux cat. She was in that point of her life, when everything seemed in its place, and nothing had sense anymore in the world. She was working late hours in a prestigious bank in Central London, where she was really respected in her position of Financial Analyst. A job that offered her a comfortable rather wealthy life that made her bank account jump of abundance every month but couldn’t nurture her soul. From the outside, her life seemed perfectly organised and wrapped as nicely as a Christmas present, but inside the box, the signs of unfulfillment, solitude, brokenness and sadness were screaming to come out. It was a hard period at the office, the end of the year was close, and she spent endless hours to finish the financial reports. It was like the entire responsibility of the bank was sitting on her shoulders and she couldn’t afford to make a single mistake. She was a perfectionist by nature, a very hardworking and ethical person, still her resources were coming to an end, and the feeling of burn-out was about to eat her alive every second.

In that monotonous Saturday afternoon, she expected nothing spectacular to happen. Lost in her thoughts, she was distracted by her phone. She looked at the screen, hesitating to answer.

- Hi Sarah, I am trying to reach you for ages, an exciting energetic voice said. It was Ben, one of her best friends from high school.

- Oh, hi Ben…. Sara answered with half voice, almost guessing what he was about to say. She was so drained by life, that when she saw people so alive like Ben, it made her feel even more uncomfortable by her state.

- What’s up sweet little workaholic maniac? We miss having you around, you may be ambitious and stubborn, but this time I am not taking a NO for an answer. There is a brand-new museum open in London Central and we are going out.

- Oh listen Ben, you know I would love to…I also miss spending weekends with you guys, roaming this charming city and tasting the latest gossips, but there are a few more days until Christmas and I am overwhelmed by work…. I am exhausted Ben…I got married with this bank.

- I know sweetheart, we all know….and we are very worried about you…. that’s why I insist so much of getting you out of this tiring routine…. this experience is exactly what you need. It’s a completely original concept, a mix of high-tech and psychological science called Museum of Self-Discovery. We are all meeting at Leisure Square, around 5 this evening. You would better come.

- Okay Ben if you insist so much…I will come. But promise me we won’t stay too late. I really need to sleep.

- Of course, darling, we are not going to dine at the Museum, he laughed sprightly. See you there.

Hmm, a visit to the Self-Discovery Museum. That’s unexpected! Maybe this is what I need for now. Getting so involved in work, you forget who you really are. And numbers will not show it to you…she thought while she was sipping the latest drops of tea. She took a refreshing shower, grabbed a comfortable pair of jeans and a cosy sweater, caressed her cat for soothing her anxiety before the reunion and jumped in taxi to meet her friends. She was a bit nervous after not seeing them for so long, but at the same time felt like a free teenager in her Converse and stretch jeans. Business clothes made her look professional, but they stifled her young spirit as well. It was time to take it back. At least for the weekend.

Arrived at destination, Sarah jumped out of the car, loosing herself in the hustle and bustle of this living city. She was shivered by the multicolour showcases and attractive commercial, by the laughing of youngsters and the Christmas decorations, by the street dancers and hip-hop music, she almost forgot that she was living in such a breath-taking metropolis. For months, she didn’t taste the noise of the city. While she was looking around, like a lost child in a strange place, Ben ran to her and embraced her from the back. The others came and they all formed a circle around Sarah, assailing her with a lot of questions and hugs.

- Guys, I am happy to see you too, but let’s not waste time on me. The Museum is waiting for us. Sarah was very loved by her friends, but she didn’t like to be in the centre of spotlight. That place belonged to Ben. He was a Senior Creative Copywriter in a high-flown and trendy agency, and he was a juicy and extrovert creative mind. Most of the groups’ initiatives belonged to him. He was in love with his job and life, in general. Sarah was more of the pleaser kind. She has been always shy, and she loved to make others happy, but without branding herself.

The Museum was a tall futurist building, with its lightened gold logo “Self-Discovery” with a big question mark, meant to leave a bit of mystery behind, making visitors curious about what’s inside. The interesting part was that on their website,didn’t reveal many details about the content of the museum, only that it is an unconventional journey of self-discovery. This way the mystery was even stronger, and visitors didn’t know what to expect. When they step in, they were more than surprised to see a huge roller-coaster, which had stops at every floor of the building.

- Guys, this must be a mistake, he laughed a bit insecure. I guess we arrived in Wonderland, rather a museum for personalities.

Extremely curious, they bought full tickets and jumped in the train as soon as it arrived. At each floor, was a different level of personality test and they could pick only one or all the three of them, but in order to discover their true self and if their life was the one they were meant to live, they had to take a complete journey. Sarah was more than thrilled by this idea, but scared in the same time. At first floor, was the Test of Inner Child. Everything was designed like a Land of Childhood and the visitors were invited to play different games and pass a personality test to discover what kind of child was locked inside them. Sarah completed the profile and turned out to be the Artist Child…her eyes weren’t suddenly bright, because she remembered that she once was a talented painter, and all her childhood was surrounded by brushes and watercolours. She swallowed her tears and got back on the train, for the next adventure. At second floor, was The Carrer Path, according to personality type, passions, and skills. The concept was very smart created, because when you were taking the test, there were sensors who measured your cardiac rhythm and other signs, so you couldn’t lie. After several challenges and steps, the result was clear. Sarah should have been a Painter. While all her friends were close with their day-to-day jobs, sharing their experiences with joy and excitement, Sarah was breathing heavily. When Ben came to her, to find out her result, she said she would prefer not to talk about it. And the last stop was the Test of Happiness. If the result would lean towards the scale of happiness, it meant you were on the right journey. If not, then all this experience would be a chance to reflect and revaluate your life. When the train stopped at the last floor, there was a light box at the Entrance “Are you truly happy? If not, there is always a second chance. “Though the message was optimist and full of hope, the anxiety grew inside Sarah’s like an ivy choking her neck. She almost knew the answer. She was far from being happy in her life. And the test confirmed it. While her friends and most of the visitors were excited by the results, like they would have won a prise, Sarah laid down and burnt into tears. It was the most honest and heart-breaking weeping in years. Suddenly, the room was spinning around with her, the laughers and music were moving away from her, and a strong wind coming from nowhere pushed her back into the carousel. Before realising what’s happening, she fainted, and the train picked up a crazy speed and threw her in a secret room.

When she woke up, she thought she was having a dream. She was lying on the floor, in a dark room, with a huge fluorescent screen and a mysterious creature in front of her, detached from science fiction movies. Her first reaction was to run at the door, but it was locked. Her heart was beating with miles per hour. The weird creature smiled to her. He wasn’t ugly and terrifying, but neither beautiful in human conception. His eyes were like emerald, and his skin was sparkling and shimmering in shades of blue and purple. He looked like a creature from another Universe. But his voice was human and calm.

- Sarah don’t be afraid. My name is Faun, and I am here to give you a second chance to life. This is not an ordinary Museum; we are superior creatures from another World and we created this concept to help people find their true path and embrace the journey with love and happiness. You see, my dear child, some of them found their perfect place in this world and they are at peace with who they are, but others like you, didn’t have the courage to follow their heart and they didn’t listen to their dreams.

Sarah was completely stoned, her mind began to realise that this was reality, but her body couldn’t move….

- M…is…ter Fa…un, she tried to articulate some words….so, what is going to haa…pen next?

-

- You see this huge screen in front of you…it will show you the life that you were supposed to live from the moment that you chose to leave your dream behind…you will see yourself in that life and what would have happened on the other path….and you will choose if you want to continue with this life or follow your heart.

- Yes, but if I decide to follow the other path, I will lose everything I have here? Everything I’ve build so far?

- My sweet child, the Faun smiled…life is made of choices…. maybe you will lose what you have for now, your status, your money, your luxury apartment…. but you will win much more for your soul. The key is yours. Now, I am going to leave and let you watch your journey.

The Faun disappeared in an instant and before Sarah could reflect to what he said, the journey has started on the screen, like she was in a cinema, only that she was the protagonist.

When she was in high school, she won a prestigious scholarship for painting in Bali, Indonesia. She was so excited to go there, but when she told her parents, they didn’t have the best reaction…

- Sarah, are you out of your mind? Her father yelled at her. Do you want to end up like Van Gogh? Poor and sick, forgotten by everyone? You are a teenager now, you have this huge passion and you’ve got talent…. I have to admit it….but me and your mom can see over this romantic dream of yours….You can have a serious profitable job and keep painting as a hobby. This will not pay your bills and will make you rather miserable than happy.

Sarah listened to him carefully and left in tears, at the back of the house where she had her small refuge, her own painting workshop. She stood there hours and hours, thinking at what her father told her…she has always been that good girl, who struggled hard to make everyone proud, excelling in school, being obedient to her parents, always putting others above her desires….but looking around, starring at her workshop, she realised she could never feel alive without all that messy creativity, with brushes all over the place, her clothes smeared with paints and the smell of watercolours. Painting was more than a hobby, like her father said. It was the reason she lived for.

With a courage that didn’t described her in particularly, she ran to her parents and gave them the big news.

- Father…. mother….I am decided and you can’t make me change my mind. I will accept the scholarship and fly to Bali.

Her father took a long breath….

- Okay, Sarah…I see you are really determined, but you know…this scholarship won’t cover all your expenses and we won’t help you. You will need to work there, as well.

She was too excited to get there, so all the effort was worth it. A few weeks later, she was in the exotic Bali, at the famous Art School “Lukisan”. Many contemporary artists that Sarah admired came from Paris, New York, and all over the world to this school, because they had an original method to study, using meditation and spiritual techniques for inspiring and the island by itself was a source of inspiration. The course was really intense, a six month full-time seminary ending with a harsh competition, where the best 10 paintings will be sent to “The Metropolitan Museum of Art” in New York.

Sarah wanted to absorb everything like a sponge, she began reading about their culture and art history and she was restless in painting, even after the classes finished. But there was a problem…she needed to take a part-time job, because her parents wouldn’t cover the costs. The only job that she could find, after 6, when classes where over was cleaning in a luxury resort. After a few weeks of learning, painting, and working hard at night, she felt exhausted. Besides, her colleagues weren’t at all so cooperative and friendly as she expected them to be. The competition was tough, and everyone was fighting for the big goal. Drained by energy, she started to skip some morning classes. She began to feel the despair and loneliness, and she was too proud to ask for help from her parents. Soon, she remembered her father words and that this life of artist is more an illusion than a dream come true.

One night, while she was cleaning a bathroom at the resort, she burst into tears. She was lying on her knees, crying like a baby, when an Indonesian young colleague of her, noticed the weeping and came to see what happened.

- Sarah, what’s wrong? He spoke in an awkward English. You were so happy when you came here, like a sunshine. Please, tell me how I could help you….

She looked desperately in his eyes and saw something that she didn’t meet for a while…kindness. She started to confess him all her journey through Bali and the expectations she had from the Art School and about the loneliness and the coldness she endured here…

He listened carefully, without interrupting her. It was more than she needed.

- Look, Sarah…I want to show you a less known place here on the Island. Please meet me on Saturday at noon. We will take a boat and I will get you there. It’s magical.

Sarah’s regained her smile and she felt that hope was not dead for real.

Saturday came and Sarah was ready for diving into the unknown. She dressed up into a colourful dress and wore some artisanal bracelets. Everything on this island was crafted with patience and creativity, even the food. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the energy to taste their amazing culture, for real. But today was a good day. She trusted Arief and felt deep in her heart that what she was about to discover, will change her life. They met by the shore and took the boat. Finally, Sarah had the chance to admire the beauty of the island, with crystalline water and sandy beaches. They smiled at each other all the way, but he didn’t tell her a word, he wanted to keep the mystery like a precious secret.

After an one hour trip on water, they arrived on a virgin beach, with white sand and …. they dove into the forest and great was Sarah’s surprise when she saw a community of people painting and creating spectacular work of arts, using leaves and elements of nature integrated in their art pieces. They were all helping each other, and forest was their guardian, inspiration, and own gallery.

Sarah was mesmerized by the scene scrolling in front of her eyes. She couldn’t believe that this wonderful community was real. They were all simple people, of all ages, local artists who created for their soul and for keeping their tradition alive. They were singing and painting and seemed the happiest people on Earth, here in the middle of forest.

- Look mama, said Arief, she is the girl I was talking to you about. She is a truly artist you will see.

His mom gave Sarah a warm embrace and introduced her to the community. They didn’t know a word in English, and she didn’t know their dialect, but they used the language of love and art and it was more than enough. They didn’t have expensive tools, neither the sophisticated techniques from her school, but they had something more precious than that. An authentic bond and a kind spirit that could move hearts and create magic. Because, after all, this is what Art is meant to do. To touch peoples’ hearts.

In that awkward Saturday and in that dark cold room of the Museum of Self-Discovery, Sarah decided to leave her small, fancy world full of materialistic satisfaction, but with an empty soul at the end of the day and listen to her heart. She belonged to the Island. In the middle of tropical forest, surrounded by those friendly Balinese artists, was the right place to be.