I get asked all the time why in the world I take self-portraits. Usually it is a simple curiosity. Especially from fellow photographers who can’t imagine being in front of the camera, this is a strange thing to do. It is vulnerable, reflective, and telling. But it is also a way to take control over all parts of your craft – to focus on the self is to be bold, brave, and mindful. Or at least, it can be. Often…
I have always been open about my love of education. Growing up I wanted to be an English teacher. I thought my path was set from a very early age. I loved teaching, I loved helping others, it just seemed natural. But then I found creativity and that took over my life in a massive way. So, I started what any normal person would – teaching creativity! I have been teaching for 8 years now, and I remember my first…
How often do you make something that surprises you? As the great photographer Jerry Uelsmann once said, and I paraphrase – if he has any goal, it is to surprise himself. I think that is one of the most profound statements an artist can adopt. It is so difficult to surprise ourselves. After all, we are ourselves. To do something so out of our usual comfort zone that even we are surprised by what we do or the outcome of…
When I began making images, it was entirely selfish. I wanted to have control over my creativity, I wanted to see how much I could learn. I enjoyed the process and soon I learned that I wanted a career. Half a year into creating, I knew that photography was becoming a much larger portion of my life than pure selfishness would allow. I wasn’t only creating for myself, I was creating for others. For all of my creative adulthood I’ve…
I am a selfish artist. I have no problem admitting that, as well as the ways in which I am selfish. I create for myself. I am interested in satisfying my curiosity. I create by myself. I like to work alone. I create because I love to test my potential. I create I hope people will like what I contribute to the world. Up until a certain point, those were my reasons for creating. I started noticing a pattern in…