Steampunk Paper Doll Journal - Spread 2 - Journal dedication - Ganesha - Remover of Obstacles

Since I needed an anchor to help me keep my focus and persist in creating 21 journal spreads as intended, I searched for an inspiration source from mythology to fill this role. For me, the biggest hurdle to staying on course, was juggling competing demands that sapped by energy and blocked my time. I needed a way of powering through that obstacle. Personally, the most obvious mythological figure to fill that role was Ganesha, an archetypal figure who is widely worshipped in India as the remover of obstacles.

"Like other archetypes, he is a source of inspiration and a role model and is widely represented in Indian art and literature. He is also revered for his cleverness and wisdom and is believed to have written down the epic Mahabharata. He is called upon to help with new ventures and for writing and artistic projects." - Melissa Elisler

Ganesha is the embodiment of an elephant.  In Vedic times, people waited for an elephant to clear the path through a forest before venturing through themselves.  They took this to be a metaphor for the situations in which one is faced with huge obstacles and needed the help of a greater being (a God/archetype) to model behaviours of strength, resilience and inventiveness to reach a goal.  The legend of Ganesha was formed against this backdrop.