
Words by Annette Handal
When I created Surfed Here: The Journey, I never imagined the profound impact it would have on me—or the heartfelt connections it would spark with others. Surfing has been one of the most challenging and transformative undertakings of my life. Much like the people we meet along the way, surfing is full of paradoxes: joy and frustration, beauty and chaos, certainty and doubt, power and stillness, fear and courage, nature and humanity.
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Capturing these contrasts and giving surfing the emotional weight it holds in my life was no easy task. I started with sketches, unsure of where they might lead. But to truly honour the essence of surfing, I had to look inward—to reflect on the person I was before it entered my life.
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I still remember the first time I surfed. The sunrise spilled over the water, painting kaleidoscopic reflections on the waves. As my instructor guided me into my first wave, I felt something shift. In that moment—riding toward the shore with the wind on my face—I realised I had found something worth pursuing. And I’ve been chasing it ever since.
This piece is more than a story—it’s a mirror, a memory, and a meditation. It’s for anyone who’s ever stood at the edge of something vast, uncertain, and beautiful—and chosen to dive in anyway.
Yet, not every moment in the water felt like this. One day, I found myself trying so hard but getting nowhere. Frustrated, unhappy, and stuck in a cycle of comparing myself to others, my ego was screaming. This wasn’t the first time I had felt this way—wanting to quit altogether, it is something all of us will feel as we navigate our lives. When people asked, “How did it go?” I would reply, “Terrible, I didn’t catch anything.” My focus was consumed by outcomes, by what I could achieve, I was blind to everything else.
Then, something shifted. I realised I had been so focused on “achievements” that I was missing the beauty of the process and the joy of simply being present. I was sitting on my board, in the warm waters of my home, El Salvador, surrounded by friends and nature’s magic, and yet, I had been focusing on measuring my happiness against meaningless standards—as society has taught us to do. That moment of reflection opened my eyes to how I approached life outside the water—always looking ahead, tying my happiness to results, and forgetting to live in and appreciate the moment.
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This story became an exploration of the restrictions I faced, both as a person and as an artist. I reflected on the courage it takes to recognise my limits and move beyond them. Failure, I discovered, is not a dead end but a pathway leading to growth. As an artist, I often felt pressured to create perfect, polished works for external validation, but this no longer felt authentic. I longed for freedom—to create something truly meaningful rather than something "perfect."
Surfed Here: The Journey represents that freedom—a liberation from external constraints, and most importantly, from the internal barriers we often place upon ourselves.
What began as a deeply personal exploration of my own transformation has grown into something far greater: a shared experience that resonates across individuals and ripples through communities.
The responses from viewers have been both humbling and inspiring. People began approaching me with their own perceptions, interpretations, and life stories—each one served as a reminder that art has the power to connect us on a profound human level. These conversations have given me precious moments of vulnerability and understanding, where I’ve witnessed how this journey echoes the struggles, growth, and triumphs of others.
This connection is what gives Surfed Here its true meaning. It is not just a story about my path, but an invitation for all of us to explore the ways we face our fears, embrace change, and find freedom in our own lives. I hope my art inspires you to reflect, to dream, and to embark on your own journey of growth and self discovery.
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