What's next?

I've been out of school for 10 months now (wow, where has the time gone?) and lately I've been feeling like something is missing. It's hard to explain, but I'm been feeling off. Different. No one really prepares you for what is next. Not just "the real world" but what really happens, mentally. It's a really weird and different experience to go from dedicating your whole entire life to creating something, anything, every waking moment, to simply, not. I was a full time student for four years. I worked as much as possible outside of school to support myself, but I still dedicated myself 100% to my school work. I left jobs because they consumed too much of my time, and I was so so so focused on what I was doing. I loved my Thesis. I loved every bit of pouring a year of my blood, sweat, and tears into one project and having a magnificent final show to show for it. I've never felt more accomplished and more in love with anything. (I didn't know it at the time, especially after all of those critiques where I felt so lost and confused... but looking back, I miss it more than ever.)

I'd be lying if I said that for the past 10 months I haven't enjoyed my time off. I have. I've moved to another state, found a steady source of employment (which I love), and overall established a new life for myself. I've picked up my camera from time to time to explore my surroundings, but not the way I used to. I haven't connected to it the way I used to. I think I finally figured out why. I was missing that passion. That excitement. I love shooting landscapes, documentary work, etc. But I consider myself to be a heavily conceptual artist and creating something without that passion doesn't get me as excited.

Then a few weeks ago, I was laying in bed, and it hit me. Like a brick wall. I finally (after all this time) have come to the realization of what my next big series will be. It never fails that my best ideas come to me right as I'm about to doze off, so I jumped out of bed and frantically sketched down things that are only legible to myself (and sometimes, that's pushing it). For the past few weeks I've been thinking, sketching, researching, and just plain obsessing. I'm really excited to start this and to try something new!

I don't want to give away too much just yet, but I'm going to be working with my scanner (creating scanograms) as well as with my camera to creating a narrative and some pretty interesting pairings. I also am going to be trying my hand at constructing things (think dioramas) as well as using appropriated imagery! I have some experience in the past with minor construction of items I photographed, but nothing like what I have in mind.

I'm so excited to finally have this passion, this fire, back in my life! I think that the hardest part now is finding the time to create. Juggling 40+ hour work weeks plus your every day life's routines and creating can be a bit challenging, but I'm determined to do this. Keep your eyes peeled for more "progress" shots. It might take a while, but I have a feeling the end result is going to feel just as good as that Thesis did.