She died for love, without winning the love of a human being, she didn’t change into the salt sea foam but obtained an immortal soul because of her good deeds.

I was keeping asking myself questions while I was thinking how to draw the story of the Little mermaid.

About love, about immortal soul, about kindness,

What is an immortal soul?

“when we cease to exist here we only become the foam on the surface of the water, and we have not even a grave down here of those we love. We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; but, like the green sea-weed, when once it has been cut off, we can never flourish more. Human beings, on the contrary, have a soul which lives forever, lives after the body has been turned to dust. It rises up through the clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water, and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown and glorious regions which we shall never see.”

How to get the immortal soul? 

” unless a man were to love you so much that you were more to him than his father or mother; and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed upon you, and the priest placed his right hand in yours, and he promised to be true to you here and hereafter, then his soul would glide into your body and you would obtain a share in the future happiness of mankind. He would give a soul to you and retain his own as well.; “

You told me that the immortal soul is that even though you died, you are still there, you are in people’s heart.

So I asked, if you want to obtain an immortal soul, you need to get someone’s love, but one day that person may also die, so you need to get more people’s love and being remembered from generation to generation, right? 

You said yes, but you don’t want an immortal soul, you just wanna a meaningful life.

But I want, I want an immortal soul, and I want to meet you again.

Maybe one day, my soul would meet your soul in the sky and said “Hi, both of us have obtained an immortal soul, because of my art,  your love and dedication to the world. ” 

What is love? 

She lost her sweetest voice to get human legs, she left her family and the sea to him, she danced painfully for him but still smiled, she  gave him all her heart and love, in the end even he married another girl, she still chose to bless them but not kill the prince to obtain her tail and life back.

She died for love, without winning the love of a human being, she didn’t change into the salt sea foam but obtained an immortal soul because of her good deeds.

I love you, how can I hurt you even I didn’t get your heart. Love is not being selfish and getting everything in my hand, love is that I’m willing to do everything for you and I’m happy about that.

When I finished reading the Little Mermaid, I looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see a rainbow across the clouds outside the window, at that moment I smiled to the rainbow,  the little mermaid must have obtained the immortal soul.

And at that moment I decided to draw her story and her immortal soul from the sea.

Mowen Li

The Persian Princess in the Little Mermaid 
Acrylic on Paper
390mm X 540mm
2017. 4.6 Philippines