10/10/2024
My Italian photo-intwined eat, pray, love adventure with after a really long year and a half of almost getting on many planes and being met with an unfortunate change and change and change of plans.
Finally it arrived—& being in Italy again & with the ability of somewhat of a vacation but also one of investment in my business, education, & creating in a really beautiful place I was so excited about. A little physically overwhelmed just given my year-ish but so so excited. I knew that content sessions would be involved & as exciting as that is—I found myself the way I do in most content experiences—that of feeling like my way of creating being primarily entrenched in documentary & authentic & removed moments is now presented to me & other creators in a more structured way.
I’m the only person on the face of the planet who has had literal Italian models in front of her & felt anxiety. Not the anxiety of can I do this—but can I be me & find my moments of ME within the structure, finding these absolute strangers in the microscopic moments of reality as they absolutely crush modeling for these other photographers.
Can I maintain who I am.
Can I create the way that is true to me in any situation.
With people who have never been in front of a camera.
With people who exist in front of a camera for a living.
Could I come through.
It was one of my biggest takeaways from this trip. That yes. That in the face of discomfort and feeling the ‘but this isn’t my ideal way of creating’—can I still create. Yes. Yes I can. Yes.
I will always look for challenges. Seek expansion. Crave surprising myself, my limits, and the depths of who I am as an artist.
