For Carl Jung, “Individuation” was the process of self-realization — the discovery of meaning and purpose in life, and the way one finds out who one really is. It is a process of differentiation and integration, becoming fully the “fragment” as part of the whole — and it is a journey available to each of us.

In Process of Elimination, every grain of powder was inspected as a way of understanding the pieces that make up a “linestone”. In this ritual, I seek to examine the pieces that make up my understanding of myself.

I funnel the pile of pulverized powder into my father’s white silk handkerchief, and I fasten the bundle with a piece of red thread, snipping the string with my mother’s silver scissors, which she used for making newspaper clippings.

With a special selection of linestones previously gathered in Linestone, I fill up a small wooden box that belonged to my grandmother, Kate de Forest Jennings, which she used for keeping photographic “negatives.”

With these simple gifts in hand, I set out across America to visit with a handful of mentors, teachers, and friends who have helped to shape me over the years.

During each visit, we share a long one-on-one conversation, after which I offer each person a linestone as a simple gift of thanks.

Once a stone has been selected, I draw a line of gray powder from cheek to cheek across each person’s face — as a way of inviting their presence into this process.

At the end of the film, I return to the old stables at High Acres Farm, re-entering the space where the process began.

With paint on my finger, I draw a white line across a clear sheet of glass in front of the camera — inviting the viewer into this process as well.