I am learning something important. Something life-changing.
I have a long held belief that if I work hard work and sacrifice myself, if I control everything and everyone, this will keep me/us safe. This belief developed as a form of self-protection when I was a child, and honestly, it probably saved my life.
But now, I am coming to see that I can relax my standards and stop trying to control everything and everyone so much, and still stay safe. It’s okay to relax and let go. Things will be okay.
I see this change in myself reflected in my photography. The journey from very controlled still-life photographs to documenting things as they are represents an elemental change in me. I have a long way to go but this awareness lightens my work.