Thomas Knowles
Tell us a little about who you are and what brought you here.
I met Maz in 2014 renting a room in her house. I’m someone who’s walked through misunderstanding and come out more whole for it. My path in 2025 has taken me through deep personal trials — emotional, physical and spiritual — but they’ve served as alchemical fire. They burned away what wasn’t real and revealed what truly is. I live by the pursuit of True Will — not as rebellion, but as alignment with one’s authentic nature. Desire Lines called to me because it mirrors that journey: the quiet courage of walking your own path when the world insists you follow its map. I came here to show that what some label as dysfunction or difference can actually be sacred insight.
What invisible or visible part of your story do you wish more people understood?
Redemption doesn’t mean returning to what was — it means transforming into something stronger, freer, wiser, and more compassionate. In recent times much of my story has been seen through the lens of conflict or judgement, yet behind that is a man who has worked relentlessly on himself and rediscovering spiritual practice rooted in self-knowledge and accountability. What I wish people understood is that healing isn’t about perfection — it’s about courage. The courage to face your shadow, admit your flaws, and still choose love and growth over bitterness.
How did it feel to be photographed as part of Desire Lines?
It was great catching up with an old friend! It’s been too long Maz!
Do you have anything else you would like to add?
I’d like to remind anyone reading this that every person has a sacred trajectory, even when it winds through darkness. The paths we take outside the boundaries — the “desire lines” carved by instinct, survival, and truth — are not wrong turns. They’re evidence that the human spirit refuses to be confined. As Crowley wrote, “The joy of life consists in the exercise of one’s energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience” And also: “Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains.” That’s the essence of this project for me: to honour the wild, imperfect, and divine process of creation.
This art is not for sale.
People’s pain and hardship cannot be commodified in this space. This space exists simply to inspire anyone who is struggling to cope or searching for a way through.
The art is a gift from myself and every participant. These images capture a moment in time that allowed us to realise that our pain has given us something priceless:
Wisdom and resilience.
They form the desire lines we walk as we move through each new storm we face, again and again.
marilyntuna.art 