This final art piece of my undergrad career offered a reflection of the person I was and who I had become during my four years at Drury University. One of the most important lessons I learned, and continue to learn, is the value of community. The value of relationships. Friendship. Mentorship. Family, chosen or not.
I sought to define myself through a series of photographs, taken around campus, that captured small moments or memories. These memories would be paired with letters addressed anonymously to the one person who might understand the photograph. Some of these letters were to the best friends I'd made in my life. Others were to mentors or professors who changed my future. Still others were to strangers who made a bigger impact on me than perhaps they realized.
This project examines the self as a series of relationships. All of these images are a practice in self-portraiture, of sorts.
The final letter and image is the only true self-portrait and reiterated the sentiment of being vulnerable before it's too late.
This project allowed me to capture a moment in time where I was feeling my most creative and inspired. This was a transitional moment and a transitional project for me, that perhaps I'll revisit again down the road when it's time to make a change.