Jean-Paul Sartre proposed that existence precedes essence. When we make something, there is a purpose behind it. The purpose is present before the existence of that particular thing. Thus, we have to create our purpose for ourselves.

While existentialism can get increasingly morbid and send one into a spiral of questions, this idea is rather comforting. Last week I was in Jaipur, India and I happened to visit an astronomical observatory. It had all sorts of devices used to track the position of the planets, sun dials, moon sign charts, etc. All of these are still accurate to date. Is it foolish or brilliant to think that we have the control of the universe and we have figured out its pathway and its ways of working? To think that we are so brilliant when we are specks of dust. Maybe it is brave and brilliant–the same sense of foolishness which can be looked at as being hopeful in a world that thrives on negativity. The kings and scientists who built this have left a legacy behind–the kind of legacy that matters and makes you think existence is worthwhile.

This photo set explores all of the above. The idea is that it is alright to think our existence matters and we do have a purpose. It is a liberating idea that we get to decide where our purpose lies. ♦