“I had a therapist about ten years ago tell me "you can choose what happens, you can only choose your reaction." In that way you always have the choice between tranquility and turmoil. When I think of tranquility I always come to the humble capybara. There are these great viral videos of capybaras bathing in an onsen with oranges (or yuzu?) atop their heads. It's something we always reference whenever in a hot tub. That same therapist suggested I journal about my turmoil and while I don't have that original journal, I do have another journal explaining why I destroyed that original journal full of teen angst. 

I sketched a relaxing capybara in that journal as a way to choose tranquility over turmoil.”

- @danieljosephjordan

Tranquility over turmoil

Pastels and colored pencil on pre-written notebook. 

Portland, Maine

03/22/25