I've been thinking a lot lately about how much I loved my "How We Self Care" series in 2019. Following people sharing stories around how they cared for themselves was beautiful and soothing and I loved every single moment of documenting these sweet lives living, even while recognizing that self care exists within a privileged space - it's not accessible to all. Between dealing with illness and then the pandemic, along with questions that were rising up for me around accessibility and the term "self care", this project kind of fell to the wayside.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the term "glimmers", it's kind of in the neurodivergent wheelhouse - instead of focusing on problems, focus on the glimmers - what shines, what invites, what works. Joy feels this way to me - I think, maybe especially as a neurodivergent person, that I look at joy in these layered ways. I feel joy when I look outside and see a storm rolling in, the wind picking up, the leaves on the trees swaying. I feel joy when I connect with other humans and make art with them. When I see a great wildflower patch. When I get into flow. When I can be cozy, piled up with blankets, watching terribly good scary movies on my couch. When I'm photographing something that just feels like MAGIC with every button click. The list goes on and on and on. In the same way that you can train your brain to look for glimmers, the same can be said for joy - the more you look for it, the more you find it, the more space you make for it - even when joy itself can be complex and sometimes challenging to source.
This new photo project focuses on that, on joy and how we find it. Sometimes we make it. Sometimes we engage with it. Sometimes it stumbles across us, flies through us, in a random moment of the day.
I'm looking to create a series of photo essays this July onwards around sourcing joy - what brings you joy? What feels joyful? These will be photographed at a go with the flow pace and work best around a process or activity - something that can be documented in a number of frames. Submit your idea through the website here. I'll respond to every submission, whether or not it's been chosen, within one week so check your junk mail! If you don't hear back from me reach out again as I won't have received it.
This project is open to all - LGBTQia2s+ welcome. If you’ve participated in How We Self Care, 24 Stories, or other photo projects you’re absolutely welcome to participate with this as well. This project is also very attuned to accessibility - please let me know how I can support you & assist with any potential barriers around participation.
The project is free to participate, you can support this and projects like it by becoming a patron.