Inspiration

What inspires me? Why am I here, typing this blog right now? Why do I want to go to Jerusalem? Why do I take photographs? These are all the questions that come to mind when I think of my first post to this blog. I would not be here right now if it weren't for the amazing support from my friends, family and complete strangers that heard me out. For as long as my memory serves me, I have been interested in Jerusalem. As a child, growing up my father was a pastor, and I was taught with the Bible. I was home schooled until 3rd grade, so the Bible is how I learned my history, science, and literacy for the most part. Jerusalem, obviously, came up often. It was not until I was a teenager that I really realized where or what Jerusalem was. I did lots of independent studies in religion, all types not just monotheistic, and I still feel like I know nothing.

So, why do I take photographs? This is a tough question to answer. On one hand, I feel that photography is a very powerful subject matter to show people truth. This is why I first got into it. I want to ultimately work in the photojournalism world. But I go back and forth with this because in a way photographs "deaden our consciousness", thank you to Susan Sontag for that phrase. When you first see a picture of a starving child, your heart will hurt... after seeing photos like this acouple hundred times, you become apathetic towards the child. I am still looking for the right approach, I know it has to be out there. I feel that this trip will be one more step forward in finding the right way to communicate, without the viewer becoming uninterested.

Somehow, some way, I am here. Finding this was step number one, number two was getting accepted, number three... funding it. I do not come from money, I do not have money, but what I do have is a very strong backbone of friends. I almost gave up a few times, but no one would let me. Sure, the money I needed probably is not a lot to most... but I would not have been able to raise it without my peeps! Shout out to Skreened on high street, they sold there "mistake shirts" for 5 bucks each and gave me most of the profits! Shout out to my place of employment, Gallo's Tap Room on Bethel rd, my awesome boss Tommy Gallo threw a silent auction for me there, where my friends donated their artwork, dates etc... We even raised enough to donated a couple hundred dollars to Feed The Children!!!

Just making it this far has been a journey, I cannot wait for this class to get rolling, and once I am in the air on my way to Jerusalem!