Online: Northern California Chapter, Walking the Inward Road

Join the Northern California Chapter for a virtual “preview” of Walking the Inward Road, a presentation scheduled to be delivered at the 25th Annual Gathering of Pilgrims in April by chapter member Martin Peña.

WALKING THE INWARD ROAD – Rekindling the Camino Spirit through Image, Word, and Song

After returning from the road to Santiago, pilgrims may choose to walk the Inward Road – an inner journey where they seek spiritual insight and self-reflection.

During the pandemic, I returned to my 2018 Camino Francés experience to explore my own Inward Road. I discovered that I could use art and creativity to reveal the personal meaning and spiritual purpose of my pilgrimage. Through creative arrangement of compositional elements, I was able to render my vision of the Camino as a personal mythology, expressed through narratives and images.

I choose to render my mythology by building on top of ‘found photography,’ to create unique and personal spatial arrangements. Manipulations utilizing double exposure, pixilation, compositional deconstruction, and coloration render these evocative images which combine with words and lyrics that speak and sing to my Camino story.

I invite you to join me on a multi-media journey through my Camino mythology. While these rendering are deeply personal, they also invite others to join in and to compare them with their own personal journey. May they provoke, evoke and inspire continuation of your own Camino journey.

Presenter Bio: Martin Peña walked the Camino Francés in 2018 from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. He is active in the Northern California Chapter and volunteers editing videos, organizing the chapter newsletter, and hosting communal meals after hikes in the beautiful Sonoma Valley. Traveling in Spain the last 30+ years, he’s developed a love and passion for Spanish culture. Among his favorite pastimes are growing (and eating) Pimientos de Padrón and hosting paella parties for friends and fellow pilgrims.