Tranquillity in the uncertainty of chaos

The making of art is such a precarious thing. Whether you paint, draw, write poems or press a camera’s shutter, there is a total vulnerability in the process of creating. In my earliest days as a photographer, I tended to shy away from the deepest parts of those vulnerable places. It was like not making eye contact with a bird that has alighted on a branch near you. If you look too close, it’ll fly right away.

It’s because of this, I think, that I’ve always been drawn to order. I suppose that’s true of me in general, so it makes sense that it’s how I’d express myself through my creative outlet. My images were clean and calm, the light even and steady. I wanted simple lines, minimal backgrounds and no clutter. […]

You’re probably wondering how this is a story of perseverance, and here’s the thing. In 2015, our nice, ordered world became anything but. That summer, while on a family trip, our son, who was 15 at the time, had a mental health breakdown. I can honestly say that this was the most terrifying time in our lives. We managed to crawl back home where he was diagnosed with Profound Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Profound. His diagnosis gave us an answer, but it was really only the beginning of the journey to get him well.

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