on Healing
Recently I heard a photographer say that he was wary of diptychs because they could be gimmicky. This was unsettling as I’ve paired hundreds of images for posts and books. I understood his point and wondered if he might be right. But in the end, I decided on this answer: It depends.
Learning to tolerate differences of opinion has been hard for me because I come from a background of relational trauma—where different translated to not belonging and feeling very insecure. Photography is a healing practice. This focused work helps me to be aware of myself, understand my emotions, and handle life with less stress. Photography helps me to expand my window of tolerance.
And all of this is a gift I never expected to receive. That I might actually show up as my complicated, messy self and feel so much love and acceptance.