It is my ability to vividly recall how I viewed and interacted with the world as a child that influences how I now perform my roles as a woman, mother, traveler, writer and artist. Necessity to adapt and change has profoundly impacted how my art now represents that view.
I have been a freelance travel photographer and writer for over a decade. I’ve told stories through the lens of my camera and written word. I volunteered at a shelter in Northern Thailand for children rescued from human trafficking, igniting a passion for anti-trafficking efforts. Through my blog I helped educate my readers to this plight. I volunteer with agencies, both domestically and internationally, providing empowering Strength Portraits to survivors.
Following an amazing opportunity to work on a project in Cuba I was diagnosed with Chikungunya, a tropical virus that is sometimes referred to as “breaking bone fever.” Shortly thereafter I experienced a rapid decline in my overall health, including my vision. I am now legally blind. I still travel solo, as my cane provides me with great independence. My photography style has adapted with life’s changes. I was introduced to alcohol inks, a beautiful, abstract and vibrant technique to express my creativity without requiring a high degree of visual acuity. Five ocular surgeries later, I’ve incorporated my newfound affinity for alcohol inks into my photographic work, rendering hand-painted images with a dreamscape quality that is unique. The resulting hybrid of photography and poured inks creates evocative images that convey child-like joy, fear, courage, angst and dreams.
I don’t quite fit into the typical sighted world as my vision is very limited. Nor do I fit into most peoples’ notion of blind. The common perception is that blindness is black or white, when in reality most visually impaired people are not completely blind. Many of us fall somewhere along a spectrum between typical vision and complete blindness. Hopefully, I can show that vision isn’t only about sight, sometimes it is more about presence.
