These images were created at the intersections of art, running, and decolonial thinking. Using a double exposure technique with my 35 mm camera, I hope to express how an embodied practice such as running can inform ways of being that decenter humans and help us understand our connections to the world around us. Coloniality has us believing we are individuals who don’t need others in order to make it in this world. When in reality, we actually flourish when we come together and share our gifts for the benefit of all. 

Running can transcend physical exercise. It can shape our perceptions and realities of our culture and the impacts we create on our environment. Through each stride, we engage with the world around us, becoming more mindful of the land and communities we run alongside. This practice can foster a unique lens through which runners can view and address cultural, social, and environmental issues.

Robin Wall Kimmerer’s call to action at the end of her book Braiding Sweetgrass is, “Whatever our gift, we are called to give it and to dance for the renewal of the world. In return for the privilege of breath.” Consider if we were to run for the renewal of the world and for the privilege of breath. Running can be a catalyst for change, if we decide that is what we want it to be.