My initial concept was a grieving widow at a funeral, being hugged by her child, with a folded flag in her lap. I decided this was a little too dark and not hopeful enough.

Next, I played with the idea of a fireman, carrying a child over his shoulder, running out of a doorway, just as the building fell.

I then considered cropping in closer on the two figures, and emphasizing the relationship between the rescuer and the child.

Here I began to consider the emotions of the two, the confusion and fear of the child, and the determination of the firefighter.

I also wanted to show the connection between them in the hand of the fireman holding the wrist of the girl, in a classic fireman's carry.

At this point I began to consider the composition from a whole different perspective, not of the fireman running out of the building, but running in. Because most of those who ran into the World Trade Center did not run out.

Here I thought of viewing the rescuers entering the doorway, with others running away from the building looking back in fear. That's what firefighers do... run into a building everyone else is running out of.

I then worked on the idea of making the piece from the point of view of the person being rescued, with the hand of the fireman reaching toward the viewer and the helmet of the firefigher forming a halo.

I also thought that a person in a smoky room would be down close to the floor and would be looking up at the rescuer.

At this point I boiled the design down to the hand and face of the rescuer and began to make variations on the placement of the hand and head.

It occurred to me that in a smoky fire, the fireman would likely be wearing a respirator, and the face would not be visible.

In the end, I decided on an image that was neither firefighter, rescuer, or police, simply someone offering a helping hand.