VULNERABLE

As a young adult who is transitioning from her life as a student into an adult, a big kid, so to speak, I am ready to branch out and diversify the content that I create. A realm that I have yet to discover is the creative expression of self. I have been candid for years about the struggles that I face with my mental health. While I have no issue being open about this, the thought of being vulnerable is terrifying to me. Usually, I tend to create content that is bright, cheery, and fun. I do not invite the viewer into my world, I am used to keeping my creative and personal worlds separate. To create something that is a reflection of who I am and the thoughts and diagnoses that I have faced, I utilized the one medium that has always been my escape and a source of comfort: photography. I have never turned the camera on myself as much as I have throughout creating this series, it was intimidating, but it also helped me embrace who I am. This series is not superficial, each photo is a representation of what I, and many others, deal with. Often, people do not share their experiences if it will make them seem “imperfect”, or “less than” others. People in their early 20s, such as myself, subject themselves to so much unnecessary comparison to others, it is exhausting and draining. I want this series to allow the viewer to accept who they are and what they may deal with, because if my vulnerability helps someone (even if it is just one person) in some way, then it was all worth it.