Calm koa and chaotic tamarind

The koa is such a beautiful piece of wood, with calm, organized, flowing grain. It sits front and center, outward facing for everyone to see and appreciate. It represents the self we allow others to see. We often place the best of ourselves on display, revealing only what we choose for others to know. There are only a few people we trust enough to turn the guitar over and see the rest.

That is what the spalted tamarind represents. It occupies far more of the instrument, just as our inner world occupies so much more of our lives. We imagine, create, fear, hope, grow angry, love, forgive, worry, and process countless experiences almost entirely behind the face we present to the world. The dramatic grain and colors reflect that complexity, and like the back of the guitar, they remain closest to us.

Yet even that chaos possesses its own beauty. When we find people we trust enough to reveal it to, they are often captivated — not because our lives are perfect, but because they recognize something of themselves in our humanity. It is within that shared vulnerability that we find the relationships we call home.