As cliche as it is, I've started a project that allows me to get back to a part of me that I lost some time ago. I'm reclaiming the undying optimist, the part of me that fights for the good that I know exists in all of God's creatures and things.
My most recent project is called The Art of Blight. I walk/ride around New Orleans and find areas of the city abandoned by its inhabitants - some from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina. Others, due to a myriad of causes that have allowed paint colors to fade, fixtures to crack and break and foundations to fold under the dominant pressure of time and the elements. And yet, I've allowed myself to find beauty in it all.
I recall on a trip to Egypt when I decided to embrace the local culture and found insurmountable beauty in the downtrodden smiles of the local homeless beggars. Or when I strayed away from the Puerto Rican resort to make the uncomfortable encounter with locals who lived on a weekly allowance less than a days pay of work. Even in this, I was able to find overwhelming beauty and passion. It's the idea of smiling through it all!
This inspired me then and I am reclaiming it now. Each and every house tells a story. I hope to capture this story at a place where most have ended it. With every picture I post, I am resurrecting that joy and optimism within me.
Here's to reclamation of self.
It's about time!
fin.
for pictures, I'd like you to check out my instagram: PharmICEistJoh
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