Digital collage, diptych 20in x 34in. each

 ★ 

 When I look to the sky and see all of the stars that are lightyears away with planets possibly orbiting them, I begin to think of conquer and conquest, of exploring new worlds and of the amazing possibilities that the universe has in store for us. I would consider space travel to be going home - after all, every element in our body was created millions of years ago in those stars. However, my interests also lie with our home planet and the fact that conquer and conquest is a selfish ideology that is based in human arrogance and fundamentally contradicts everything that I believe in. 

Is space travel of paramount importance to the advancement of the human race? Am I too distracted by the pretty nebulae to see some futility in looking above instead of at the injustices that still happen here? Is this all escapism? Are we ready to go home yet?