Solace in Solitude...
8/27/2019
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Standing on the edge of a rocky cliff, I look down at the layers of folded hills below, resting upon each other, like creases in a velvet cloth. A strong breeze whips my hair back, and blows against my skin. I run my fingers along the jagged rocks, just like the wind caresses those sharp places in my soul, wearing them smooth once again. I come here to be alone with my thoughts. I come here to heal.
Exploring the wild spaces that New Mexico has to offer has been a powerful force in processing the emotions that have arose since the death of my aunt in December - nature's grief counselor. One of the core principles of wilderness spaces is the concept of solitude, that every visitor to the spaces is entitled to the feeling of being alone with their thoughts and free of interruptions, at least from other humans. The healing aspects of these explorations has led me to the desire to share the experiences with others, to take this personal project further, into a universal area of healing and coping with loss and grief. If I ask any person to share with me some way they have suffered over their lifetime, they will have stories to tell. Pain and loss are, unfortunately, things that humans experience universally.
I am currently in the process of securing funding for project through grant proposals, one of which is the Sony Alpha Female grant. I am also seeking funds on a more local level, and wish to visit ten of the designated New Mexico Wilderness areas (with plans to extend the project further, to the additional 29 wilderness areas, and also include open spaces across the state that are not wilderness designated, but are incredible landscapes nevertheless): Aden Lava Flow, Ah-shi-sle-pah, Bandelier, Bosque del Apache, Carlsbad Caverns, Cebolla, Cruces Basin, Columbine-Hondo, Potrillo Mountains, and Salt Creek. The resulting images from the visits will be reproduced on large-scale metal prints, and these and additional prints will be compiled in a book along with poetry and written words on the subjects of wilderness, grief, and solace. (I am actively seeking submissions for the written portions of this book - contact me if you are interested. You keep all rights to your work and you will be compensated if your work is chosen for publication.)
Below is my one minute video submission to the Alpha Female contest, as a sort of overview of the background for the project:
Exploring the wild spaces that New Mexico has to offer has been a powerful force in processing the emotions that have arose since the death of my aunt in December - nature's grief counselor. One of the core principles of wilderness spaces is the concept of solitude, that every visitor to the spaces is entitled to the feeling of being alone with their thoughts and free of interruptions, at least from other humans. The healing aspects of these explorations has led me to the desire to share the experiences with others, to take this personal project further, into a universal area of healing and coping with loss and grief. If I ask any person to share with me some way they have suffered over their lifetime, they will have stories to tell. Pain and loss are, unfortunately, things that humans experience universally.
I am currently in the process of securing funding for project through grant proposals, one of which is the Sony Alpha Female grant. I am also seeking funds on a more local level, and wish to visit ten of the designated New Mexico Wilderness areas (with plans to extend the project further, to the additional 29 wilderness areas, and also include open spaces across the state that are not wilderness designated, but are incredible landscapes nevertheless): Aden Lava Flow, Ah-shi-sle-pah, Bandelier, Bosque del Apache, Carlsbad Caverns, Cebolla, Cruces Basin, Columbine-Hondo, Potrillo Mountains, and Salt Creek. The resulting images from the visits will be reproduced on large-scale metal prints, and these and additional prints will be compiled in a book along with poetry and written words on the subjects of wilderness, grief, and solace. (I am actively seeking submissions for the written portions of this book - contact me if you are interested. You keep all rights to your work and you will be compensated if your work is chosen for publication.)
Below is my one minute video submission to the Alpha Female contest, as a sort of overview of the background for the project: