'I feel very humbled to have had the opportunity to come here and meet the locals, they have inspired happiness within myself as they endlessly try to reach out to us, welcoming us to their way of life' - Lisa Scrimgeour, Scotland

The Sam Rit residency here in Thailand is a beautiful project aimed to take artists around the globe and introduce them to thai culture and it’s most profound. Here in the village of Sam Rit, the culture is untouched by western hands and the sense of community is innate. I feel very humbled to have had the opportunity to come here and meet the locals, they have inspired happiness within myself as they endlessly try to reach out to us, welcoming us to their way of life. Our first week, not yet over, has been full of culturally rich journeys. We visited temples, farms, and most importantly, the people themselves. If there was ever a place for an artist to gain not only inspiration but also a glimpse at a uplifting world of happiness and community spirit, this is without a doubt, that place. It leaves one with a compelling drive to make work for your own benefit and takes you away from the ruthless and distracting capitalism of the west. This is truly a place to let your soul recover.

As we sit with the locals learning basic words, we drink beer and eat together around a big table filled with almost every family member of the residency project managers. They welcome us as if we were family. We laugh, break language barriers and enjoy the “foreign” company. It almost seems banal and unimportant that we are from somewhere else, we feel at home here. My work is chiefly influenced by the idea of the “other” yet here I am influenced by culture and have decided to try to learn local folktales to influence new work. Already I am benefiting from the peaceful spirit that surrounds us.

We visited the “magic tree” yesterday, the tree stretches across 3500 square feet, and using supports umbrellas the walking area that has been made underneath. The tree is 300 years old and people from all over Thailand come to visit it and get their fortunes from the shrine of the trees “guardian “. My fortune warned to be careful as good fortune was yet to be mine. I think this trip has given me the strength to do just that and I look forward to more adventures and experiences in the next coming week to help me along my own life journeys.