Freezing water needs a surface to form ice crystals. Trapped in the still, cold air, it remains liquid, supercooled, even if the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius. Contact with a surface helps the water droplet organize into a new shape, one that is right for the current weather.

Most often, we people also need contact to form our thoughts and feelings. When the environment changes, our minds are often trapped into bubbles, knowing we should take a different shape but not being able to change. Contact helps crystallize our minds just like it helps crystallize water.

It was a freezing night in Bruges, with supercooled mist hanging over the canals. The water droplets did not have contact to help them change and grow, but I did.

(Bruges, Belgium; December 2016)