This was a question asked by a student within the first (and only) two weeks of Ringelstetter’s 2020 school tour. At the time it was hard to come to an answer, and the artist has been reflecting on the query ever since. Looking back, he believes that had he not gotten swept away with materialistic desires and prioritized his spending he could be years ahead in his career. It’s easy to look from the vantage point at which you stand now and find ‘better’ ways to get ‘here’, but Ringelstetter also knows that if he had done things any differently it could have taken him down an entirely foreign path and he may be nowhere near where he is now. It’s important for all of us to remember that it’s about the journey just as much as the destination and it’s those lessons and experiences that make us who we are.
Darienne Keniece