Purpose, Beyond the Self
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital represents something rare in the world. It is a place of global reach and uncommon generosity, where children from around the world come when no other options remain. The commitment behind it—scientific, human, and moral—stands among the clearest expressions of what collective care can look like when it is pursued without compromise.
I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer there—a role I approach with deep respect and care.
I knew, on paper, what I was walking into. The reality of childhood illness—of seeing children endure circumstances no child should have to face—is among the most gut‑wrenching experiences a person can encounter. Every day at St. Jude requires strength, grounded in the understanding that the work serves something far bigger than any one individual. And indeed, these beautiful children visibly bear the signs of the hardships they are enduring.
Purpose Through Service
This opportunity did not arise casually, nor suddenly. For much of my adult life, I have felt a quiet but persistent pull to give back—to contribute something beyond my own work, interests, or ambitions. That desire was always present. What wasn’t present was capacity.
For years, personal and professional demands required more than I realistically had to give. Over time, operating beyond my limits became habitual rather than exceptional. Obligation dictated priorities, and even meaningful intentions were deferred because there was no surplus capacity to act on them. It wasn’t empathy or concern that was missing—it was margin, clarity, and the internal space required to engage with anything beyond immediate necessity.
When life narrows in that way, purpose can seem nonexistent. Days are spent responding rather than deciding. You do what must be done, attend to what is urgent, and postpone everything else. Looking outward—to serve, to contribute, to give—requires more than goodwill. It requires a reserve that simply isn’t always available.
Over time, as my life began to reorganize itself, something shifted—not toward ease, but toward alignment. I have always had a natural ability to see people—to sense energy, emotion, and presence without needing explanation. What changed was not that capacity itself, but my ability to apply it meaningfully. I reached a point where my circumstances, abilities, and disposition were finally positioned to support something beyond myself.
That understanding is what drew me specifically to St. Jude.
Creative Service and Giving Back
The work I do there involves sharing creative process—introducing color, engagement, and moments of focus into an otherwise overwhelming reality. Creativity, in this context, is not performative. It doesn’t attempt to fix or reframe what’s happening. Instead, it offers moments of relief, positivity, and beauty within circumstances that are often profoundly devastating for children and their families. In some cases, outcomes are uncertain or unthinkable. Participating in these moments requires commitment, compassion, and the willingness to meet people where they are—fully and honestly.
One day, during a session filled with engagement and laughter involving several children and their siblings, a small girl—around seven or eight years old—walked up to me and said, “You are the nicest person in the world.”
That moment stayed with me.
It wasn’t because of praise, or because it elevated me in any way. It was because it came from a place of unfiltered honesty that only a child possesses—spoken in the midst of hardship, without expectation, without agenda. Despite living in one of the most welcoming and kind communities I have ever experienced, that simple statement carried a weight that was uniquely profound.
These experiences are not about artifacts or outcomes. They are about presence. About showing up with care, generosity, and respect. About contributing something positive into a moment that may otherwise feel heavy or uncertain. The memories being created in those spaces matter deeply, even when they are private and fleeting.
Finding Meaning Through Contribution
Volunteering at St. Jude has reinforced something I have long believed: creativity is not only about objects, exhibitions, or permanence. It is also about connection. About offering what you can, when you can, without needing to be seen for it. About recognizing when your abilities—shaped over decades—are best used quietly, in service of others.
My life has certainly endured its hardships, but there is a lot to be excited for. However, purpose does not require ease. Purpose lives beyond the self. It lives in the decision to respond when called, and in the willingness to give with humility when the moment allows.
I am deeply grateful to be able to show up in this way, in this place, at this time. Not because it defines meaning, but because it reveals where meaning so often resides: in compassion, generosity, and the choice to contribute to something far greater than oneself.
This reflection exists alongside a broader visual practice shaped by responsibility, presence, and disciplined decision‑making. To see how these values take form across my aviation‑informed work, explore the full practice here.
