Photography is healing

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso

I feel blessed photography has found me. It has been an important tool for reducing my stress and increasing my well-being. For me, photography and everything that came with it have become a significant part of my self-care routine.

Since I started taking photos years ago, I find the world seems to have filled up with more nuances. I pay more attention to the light, the shade, the peculiarities of the different environment I am in. Where I used to see the mundane of the everyday life, I now see profound beauty. Photography makes me feel more appreciative of those tiny snippets in life that I used to take for granted. It makes me see the world with different eyes because of the different angles of the photographs. Boring objects or ordinary scenes can make for interesting subjects when you find an interesting angle to interpret them.

I find photography to be one of the most powerful mediums to convey a message. “A picture’s worth a thousand words”. Images can evoke emotions. What we focus on continuously through taking images can have profound impact on our overall well-being. What the mind focuses on is what your body feels. When I take in all the beauty around me, I can’t help but feel blessed to have this opportunity to live this one life. I get the calm, centered feeling whenever I put my focus on nature, or anything that evokes positive feelings within me. Where you focus your attention, your energy expands. With my photographs, I make the choice to focus on the positive aspects of life that make me feel well and whole.

I also love the concentration photography brings, I can shut out all the distractions and focus solely on creating something that is meaningful to me. There is something magical about turning an idea in my head into art; about capturing a moment that I can have forever. I get to relive those beautiful moments that I have the luxury to experience. What a gift that is!

I like to think each of my photography outings to be one of my mindful walks that help shift my focus away from the daily routine. For a while, I get to focus on the positive energy of life found through exploring with my eyes and my camera. It provides the opportunity for me to connect with my surroundings fully, to hear, to smell and to feel the texture of the space. By immersing myself fully in the present moment, I look and soak in the beauty in whatever form it takes.

Photography requires me to take a pause from living in my head and take on a fresh perspective regardless of my personal circumstance. I am forced to see the larger world and bring objectivity to every moment. The methodological nature of taking an image allows me to experience and express my emotions without being consumed by them.