The Mural
On July 5, 2020, Leonardo Vargas and I decided we wanted to do something big. We wanted to stamp our marks on Palo Alto in the best way we knew how, and embarked on a long and difficult process that would drive us crazy but leave us feeling so incredibly proud.
A mural.
We wanted to paint a mural to bring some much-needed positivity into our community during the early stages of the pandemic—something joyful, vibrant, and inspiring. We drafted a handful of designs, biked around Palo Alto scouting blank walls, and reached out to several building owners. But of every e-mail I sent that day, we only heard back from one. And they said yes.
Fortunate enough to have received permission and full support from Eric Hassett of Hassett Ace Hardware, we then looked to the city for approval. Unfortunately, the not-so-simple process of obtaining a permit from the City of Palo Alto made it hard to get things done when we wanted to and we delayed the painting multiple times. While I can't speak for Leo—maybe the most driven creative I've ever met—seeing this project through was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I was almost convinced it wouldn’t happen at all. We kept it a secret while it was in the works, only telling people there was something big coming while truthfully making no real progress. Ashamed every time I messaged Mr. Hassett letting him know we weren't quite ready yet, we had to make a choice: give it up or hold out a little longer? On August 24, 2021, we got our green light from the city, and wasting no time, we scrambled eagerly to prep the wall for painting. We finished our mural, 'The Peak of Bliss,' on September 5, 2021. Exactly 1 year and 2 months after we began. And it's hard to think of anything I've been more proud of.
'The Peak of Bliss' depicts a young boy leaping through the air into a ball pit beneath him. In this moment at the crest of his jump, he is experiencing joy in its purest, most concentrated form—unadulterated bliss. As we worked, Leo and I were approached by a passer-by who viewed the picture with a puzzled look on his face as if trying to decipher a riddle. He turned to me and asked what it meant, to which I replied, "what do you think?" He said he just saw a happy kid jumping into a pile of balloons.
That's all there is to it.
Our mural can be found in the alley behind Hassett Ace Hardware on 875 Alma St. in Palo Alto, CA! Massive thanks to Eric Hassett and the crew at Hassett Hardware, to Nadya Chuprina and Elise DeMarzo of the City of Palo Alto, and to Leo, my brother.
