"Looking for the unexpected" , by Erik Pevernagie, oil on canvas,(100 x 80 cm) x

When we feel the cards are stacked against us, and we have to confront the arresting questions of our walks of life, we may happen to face up to an "apocalypse." When we meet head-on a disclosure of a "new" truth and come to terms with the destruction of our "old" reality, the disparity might be very challenging, or conceivably liberating as well.

Some are annoyed by the laming spirit of a profound mediocrity and the daily grind. They decide then to go on the road and look for the unexpected.

By discerning the surreptitious features in the scenery of their self, they come to apprehend their personality, find out their identity, and learn how to cultivate it. Taking care of their fingerprints will be an enduring endeavor.

In our life journey, the unexpected may remind us or surprise us. It may tell us when we are moved by things we think we recognize and give us a good feeling. It may surprise us when we find out things that open a new vision on the world and offer us an unforeseen experience.

When we are looking for the unexpected, we are not only looking for the unexpected in ourselves. We are also curious about the unexpected in the behavior of the others. To know the others, we have got to learn how and where they differ from us. By understanding this, we can establish an uplifting link with otherness.

Looking for the unexpected, assumes an open mind, a condition of dynamic, uncluttered response to current events. By finding out the things we don't know, we analyze our interpretations and master our own feelings. We become mindful and assess circumstances in an unbiased manner.

Alexander Von Humboldt left his safe home in Germany and went to go and look for the unexpected in the world at large. This allowed him to discover the many extraordinary and unusual things, which were so precious for the coming generations. He combined guts, luck, and creative insight.

The 'Burning Man' adherents are possessed by the same spirit: looking for the unexpected and' out of the box thinking.' We will never forget the man who was looking for a needle in a haystack and came out with the farmer's daughter. In his life, Robert Mapplethorpe has always been "looking for the unexpected, for things he had never seen before."

Phenomenon: Mindfulness and Serendipity

Factual starting point of the picture: Person experimenting with bodily expressions.