Reigniting Curiosity: The Journey of Explore It
4 of 30 “ring” photographs from Explore It, Summer 2020. Dina Palma.
What if something forgotten in your garage could change how you see the world?
That’s what happened to me. A weathered wooden ring, once part of a large drum, sat tucked away for years. To most, it was just scrap wood. To me, it was a treasure waiting for its moment. That moment arrived when I launched Explore It—a project born not just from creativity, but from a deep craving for structure, accountability, and inspiration.
We were just starting to step back into the world after COVID. The outdoors became a kind of freedom. Explore It began as a celebration of that reentry—of curiosity rekindled and nature reawakened. But it quickly became more than that.
Holding the ring transformed the way I moved through space. A walk wasn’t just a walk anymore. It was a practice. A pause. A permission slip to notice differently. And that shift—intentionally choosing to see what’s often overlooked—resonates deeply with the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In CBT, we learn that how we think directly impacts how we feel and act. Explore It became my personal CBT experiment in real time.
Instead of falling into autopilot, I began catching those internal narratives: “I don’t have time,” “There’s nothing new here,” and gently challenged them: “What haven’t I seen yet?” “What’s shifting in me?” It was an invitation to change the story.
And when I slowed down, everything changed. I started to experience my environment with all my senses. The scent of rain on pavement. The sound of water spiraling down a sewer cap. The rustle of leaves. The surprise of ripples in a puddle. The way sunlight cracked open a shadowed path. These weren’t grand revelations—they were tiny, grounding truths that offered a kind of peace I didn’t know I needed. CBT calls this present-moment grounding. I just called it being alive.
The ring became a beacon—not just for me, but for others. People would stop me to ask what I was doing. Curious strangers turned into spontaneous collaborators, offering to hold the ring so I could take a photo. What began as a personal ritual quickly became a shared one.
And that’s when something unexpected unfolded. I realized I didn’t have to do this alone. It’s surprisingly hard to hold a ring and take a picture at the same time. So friends joined. Family. My husband. Walks became mini-adventures. Conversations deepened. Creativity flourished. And while I treasure the solitude Explore It offers, the togetherness has been a powerful and beautiful gift.
Over time, I began returning to the same places—not because I had to, but because I wanted to see what was different. What was I missing the first time? What had changed in me since my last visit? It reminded me of Claude Monet, who painted his garden in Giverny again and again. The same lilies. The same bridge. But always something new—light, color, shadow, perspective. That repetition wasn’t boring. It was devotion. Explore It has helped me see the ordinary with extraordinary reverence.
So far, the project has spanned summer and fall, each season shaping its own rhythm. And now, as spring approaches, I’m called to continue. I’m curious to see what’s blooming—both around me and within me.
My ring, humble as it is, reminds me of Carl Jung’s mandalas in The Red Book. Jung used those circular drawings as a daily practice of integration—a ritual of order and healing. Explore It has done the same for me. It has become a meditative act. A way to reconnect with my identity as an artist. Not just a facilitator of other people’s creativity, but someone who creates for the sheer joy of the process.
CBT often encourages us to “do the opposite” of what our autopilot suggests—to try something new and observe what shifts. That’s what Explore It has become: a daily nudge to disrupt the familiar. To look again. To stay open. To see the world, and myself, differently.
And now—I’m coming back to it. Not because I ever truly left it behind, but because I’m ready to engage more fully, more publicly, and more collaboratively. I’m excited to see where the ring will take me this time. And more than that, I’m curious to see how others might inspire me along the way.
So let’s Explore It, again. Together.
You can sign up for our Spring (May) Explore It Project here!
And you can check out the past chapters of this journey here: 🔗 Explore It: Volume One. and 🔗 Explore It: Volume Two
