I was inspired to draw a wolf for a few reasons. Firstly, I was attending the University of Nevada, Reno, whose mascot is the wolf pack. It is known that wolves, while being wildly independent creatures, are also reliant on the strength of their pack. Secondly, I was beginning to realize the importance of wolves in the ecosystem, and what exactly had happened when they were removed. Finally, as a personification of the previous two circumstances, I saw myself as the wolf. It became clear that the efforts to tame the spirit of my pack, of likeminded individuals, had devastated more than just those they were aiming to abolish.
Shiva is the name of a Hindu deity who is half male and half female. Of the three main Hindu deities who create, preserve, and destroy the world, Shiva is the destroyer. There is very little glamour in this duty, but it must be done nonetheless. The paradoxical nature of the wolf, as well as the untamed nature of reality, is as beautiful as it is formidable. In this way, we must remember the catastrophic importance of ugliness and death.