Last night I could tell that I’ve been working too hard (12-14 hour days, this whole past week) and my body needed a little extra rest. I set my alarm for 4am, but when it went off I let myself sleep until 5. The only issue with that is that the light isn’t the best then as the sun begins to come up, so instead of rushing out to a location I shot against a white sheet in my garage. And boy, was this a bad one to do in my neighborhood. I looked like I had just escaped a hospital, and there was no shortage of dog walkers slowly walking past this morning.

I have always loved photographing bandages because of how timeless they are while being sad and a signifier of pain at the same time. Old and sad are my favorites. I have been using these bandages since I started taking pictures. I had a vision of a group of girls standing in a circle, abandoned, scared to look out from the bandages that have kept them in the dark.

The truth is that we all too often feel we are wearing a mask, or that someone is trying to force us into one. We marginalize people and try to get them to fit into our version of what they should be. Some of us do that to others, knowingly or not. I know I have done it to others unintentionally, but the result is the same: making someone feel inadequate for being who they are. I have felt that in my own small ways in the past – that I am too weird, or too antisocial, or I should do this or that, and I should definitely not do other things. It is human to feel out of place, but it shouldn’t be part of the human experience to be made to feel that way.

To me, bravery looks like the person who would peer out from behind the mask they wear to show the world who they are, despite what anyone might say about it. It is the one in the group who looks first, not knowing what they will see, and then encourages others to open their eyes. At some point in our lives, we could all use the encouragement to open our eyes when darkness is much more comforting.

I hope that no matter what you are going through you find the courage to look out at your world with your very own unique eyes and cast your gaze upon it’s wonders. You are sure to change the landscape just by being open to seeing it.

P.S. Very soon I’m releasing a brand new PAY WHAT YOU CAN challenge that I’m so excited for. You’ve got a 50 page e-book coming, daily emails, and all the guidance you could need to take on a CONTENT CREATION challenge. WAHOO!