THE GARDEN OF MY LIFE
MAPPING LIFE AND CREATIVE PRACTICE AS A LIVING ECOSYSTEM
About the Interface
The Garden of My Life was designed by XAV for Sottobosco Arts Residency as a reflective mapping interface exploring creativity, relationships, resources, and personal growth through the metaphor of a garden.
Participants were invited to imagine themselves as gardeners of their own lives and practices, mapping the different conditions shaping their ecosystem.
Seeds represented ideas and projects; soil represented resources; water represented nourishing practices; sunlight represented inspiration and purpose; pollinators represented allies; weeds represented what needed pruning; fruits represented desired outcomes; and seasons acknowledged cycles of growth and rest.
Rather than approaching creative development through conventional career planning, the interface encouraged participants to understand their lives as interconnected ecosystems requiring attention, balance, timing, and care.
The resulting maps became personal tools for self-inquiry—making otherwise abstract relationships between needs, ambitions, resources, and relationships visible.
