My work centre’s on Taoism. Relating to the symbology of the Tai-Chi, and Yin Yang symbol, and the notion of wu-wei.
Taoism when translated means “path”, or “way, a journey with obstacles along the way”, in the Chinese beliefs.
It is a journey to success, starting with a conservative girl, without any particular direction in life.
A girl in search of maturity and enlightenment journeys down a path where she encounters a cat who is a practicing Taoist.
Taoists believe in naturalness, vitality, peace, "non-action" (wu wei, or "effortless effort" emptiness (refinement), detachment, flexibility, receptiveness, spontaneity, the relativism of human ways of life, ways of speaking and guiding behavior.
This cat being a metaphor for life her yang and her being yin, engages the young girl, providing her with the guidance she needs. Her encounter with this cat leaves her with a sense of knowing what she wants and now knows how to go about getting it.
She has been wishing to make a change in her life, to free herself from a world of innocence and being so naive. Impulsively ripping off her clothes she makes a decision to change her ways, and continues her journey to transforming into a stronger person, learning life’s lessons along the way through the beliefs of wu- wei (action through inaction) which seek to counterbalance Yin with Yang at every opportunity as Taoists believe in filling life with joy, practicing natural order within herself.
Pursuing her journey to find her happiness where she is reunited with the cat at last, and unity between the two is as at last made ,yin and yang are at peace, working together as one, where she has complete control of her life.
However, the overall message I hope to convey is that although this girl strives for more from her life , determined to get her fairy tale ending , but what she comes to realize is that she has always been living a mature life, and realizes “ It's choice, not chance...that determines your destiny ,everyone controls their own destiny.
