THE IMAGE SURVEY
With 49 stock photo images and a series of questions, we discovered these life desires and
spiritual perceptions among students across the nation. While this is not everything everyone said,
it's a glimpse into the most popular images and what they represented for people. 

How would you describe your life right now? 

Most Popular Images:  #03, #41, #46, #47 


What The Images Were:  
#03  Post-it note To Do’s cover a man’s bald head
#46  An overflowing wastepaper basket  
#47  Wooden slatted path winds through reeds 
#41  A long stretch of black open road winds into the distance 
 
What The Images Represented:
A lot of things on my mind, so many things to remember, so much going on 

Don’t know where the road is going, decisions and choices for future 

The future ahead that I cannot see, don’t know what will happen or where it leads, journey of life


What do you wish were a part of your life right now? 

Most Popular Images:  #01, #32, #33


What The Images Were:    
#01  A dollar bill close-up  
#32  Snow topped mountains mirrored in a placid lake 
#33  An old man, hiding flowers, goes to kiss his wife  

What The Images Represented:
Financial stability, be nice not to have to worry about money

Serenity, beauty, tranquility, to get away, solitude, to be in the outdoors, humble & quiet nature, freedom 

A partner to grow old with, love eternal, romance, to be with someone where we feel like
we’ve known each other a long time and understand each other, to be happily married, long-term love 


What do you think the spiritual dimension offers? 

Most Popular Images:  #32, #19, #29


What The Images Were:  
#32  Snow topped mountains mirrored in a placid lake 
#19  A solitary footprint left on a beach 
#29  A man, holding a light, stands facing a dark blue horizon 
 
What The Images Represented:
Nature and beauty – a serene place, calm and peace, peace and serenity, freedom, peace with myself,
seeing new things and the beauty of life, space to be alone- meditate, freedom, serenity, everything good and pure 

God carrying you like the “Footprints” poem, leaving a mark in the world, strength and comfort,
something greater, the intangible that lets you be at peace and happy 

A light in the darkness, the unknown, connecting with someone bigger than yourself, a guiding light,
reaching for something in a big world

Offers comfort, protection, home, a calming place, journey and guidance, nothingness 


How would you describe God? 

Most Popular Images:  #32, #29, #19, #13


What The Images Were:  
#32  Snow topped mountains mirrored in a placid lake
#29  A man, holding a light, stands facing a dark blue horizon 
#19  A solitary footprint left on a beach 
#13  An eye looking beyond

What The Images Represented:
Something we aspire to be – peaceful and beautiful, the beautiful is an extension of God, creator of beauty, 
intelligence, vastness, greatness of God seen in nature

Like a guiding light, powerful position, God brings us light, you can't see him but you can see what he's doing

God leaves his footprints, he’s there but you feel like you can’t grasp him, invisible, a powerful God

Bigger and more powerful than we are, all-encompassing, merciful and loving, universal, ready to pounce
if you do anything wrong, high above everyone, mysterious, unknown, closer than you expect,

watching over us, all-seeing, all-knowing 


How would you describe your desire to know God? 

Most Popular Images:  #23, #19, #17, #26, #13 


What The Images Were:  
#23  A man in synagogue turns pages of the prayer book or printed Torah 
#19  A solitary footprint left on a beach 
#17  A businessman walks forward in a red desert  
#26  A Hindu man prays
#13  A close-up of an eye looking out beyond

What The Images Represented:
trying to do all I can to get closer to him, want to read [Bible] and know more, desire to know my religion more,
desire to read scripture but need to make more time for it 

being with God is going back to the source- the cycle of life is going back to the creator – putting spirituality
off until I die, I only think about God whenever I’m in trouble

Isolated coming toward him, searching, will eventually find something - expecting to find something and
wants to be ready for it when he does find it, I want to know myself first to realize what I'm missing and how God fits in,
searching out and doesn't know what's out there, but looking; he wants to keep looking toward what might be out there;
desires to find the answers to the unknown, She is open to everything - She has to decide which path of beliefs to walk down

people pray, they need God's help, the motion shows my desire, praying and searching 

I feel like there’s something watching me – something out there, looking up – seeking God,
I’m looking at it but not getting there – just a spectator, always looking for the answers, want to keep my eyes open and
be religious someday- I think it will take me time and I want to be as objective as possible,
I’ve seen and heard a lot - wish I knew more about God but have no concrete view,
seen how God has affected People's lives, and trying to see how He can impact hers

The Project 

I asked, "What is this? Why this?"

They said, "You tell me. Look. Listen. Look again."

So I look, I see, I be....become. 

Become confused, stressed, more confused...about what?

Or wait, had I walked in already worked-up and stressed?

Oh, I digress. Back to business...busy-ness.

That thing, that thing. What is that thing?

That thing I desire...that might be it.

It.

It that was formed in the womb.

And then came life!

Into Eden, it spread. Thanks to that which creates, here we are.

Thanks to Man, here we are.

Thanks to Man’s graffiti, here we are.

Here we are where we’re not,

for this big undulating yellow form has invaded

our sheets, our clocks, our sleeves. 

I asked yet again, "What is this? Why this?"