{"id":542,"date":"2009-09-10T15:59:05","date_gmt":"2009-09-10T22:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/?p=542"},"modified":"2009-09-10T23:27:04","modified_gmt":"2009-09-11T06:27:04","slug":"healing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/healing\/","title":{"rendered":"Healing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sometimes things just happen that are supposed to happen. Every once in a while my career can feel like a job. Pay the rent, order the products, fix the computers, etc…. Then I get a call from someone like Shirley that really sets me back on course and I fall in love with why I became a photographer in the first place. <\/span><\/p>\n

8 months ago, Shirley lost her husband in an accideent. Although she is energetic and positive, there is that part of her that needs an outlet. When she called and told me about her situation and the project she envisioned I was instantly on board and gracious that someone would trust me to help them in this way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Below is the article Shirley wrote a few months back that explains much better than I can what this project is about. You can view the outcome at the end of this post.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reposted from Shirley’s Blog July 14, 2009<\/span><\/p>\n

Grief Counseling<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past several weeks, I\u2019ve been working on a \u201cprocessing project;\u201d to explain what this is for everyone out there, it\u2019s a project that I purposely choose to work on that helps me to emotionally reconcile the death of my husband. I\u2019ve completed one such project so far, this one is the second. I don\u2019t know how many of these projects I will need to complete\u2026 it\u2019s one of those \u201cI\u2019ll know when I get there\u201d things. For all I know, I\u2019ll NEVER be done reconciling the death of my husband. But in my gut, that doesn\u2019t strike true for someone like me. I know myself pretty well by now, and while right now I am still processing\u2026 I sense that one day I will be at peace with the event. One day\u2026 not quite yet.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

So this project\u2026 it\u2019s a photograph. The intent of the photograph is to \u201ccapture my sadness\u201d in the wake of losing the Bunny, with the idea that I can move past it. The photograph will let me look back, and reflect, and remember what these emotions felt like \u2013 freeze how they feel now \u2013 which might sound a bit counterintuitive to most people. How can I move past what I can only describe as emotional devastation by looking at a picture representing all of those negative feelings? Because with all things negative, they are the best opportunities for growth. Those negative moments are the most defining in terms of who we are, as individuals. This photograph will also help me remember that despite things happening that effectively dropped a shroud over my eyes, I did get through it. I WILL get through it. I will remember all the pain, all the sadness, all the doubt, loneliness, tears, grief\u2026 and through the support of those people who love me, through the patient watchfulness of the time that passes, and by keeping some small spark of hope alive that there is a continuing purpose for my life, that God is NOT done with me yet\u2026 I\u2019ll make it. I\u2019ll make it to that future point \u2013 that one I feel in my gut, but don\u2019t yet see reflected around me. Blind faith tells me it exists.<\/em><\/p>\n

The point of this photograph isn\u2019t even me \u2013 in fact, one of my requirements is that it doesn\u2019t look like me. I\u2019ll be dressed as a fairy (yea, one of those mystical creatures), wings and all. But I am the physical manifestation of my emotions (thus, the sadness) \u2013 the point of the photograph is a locket. It\u2019s a special locket, one I had made out of the Bunny and my wedding rings. Our rings were originally handmade by a metal craftsman using an ancient Japanese technique called mokume gane \u2013 it has the appearance of woodgrain, but it\u2019s different metals swirled together. Back in the samurai days, mokume gane was used in parts of the handle of the samurai\u2019s sword. You can check it out here:http:\/\/www.mokume-gane.com\/<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Today, my best friend Liz took me to Sephora to have my face made up by a professional makeup artist, to give me some ideas on what I might like to do for my photograph. I tried on my dress last week (which didn\u2019t fit \u2013 I refer you back to my earlier post, The Victoria\u2019s Secret Story, and you will understand what part of the dress is giving me trouble). My wings were also handmade, and I had a scare that they were lost in transit when UPS mistakenly updated their computer tracking which indicated that they had been delivered to my front doorstep (which in fact they had not) \u2013 it was a devastating blow to me, not for the wings themselves, but for their significance with regard to this project. Miraculously, they DID show up the next day, and my faith in the universe was restored. I\u2019ve been working for the past several weeks with a local photographer, collaborating on the upcoming shoot. I chose Joe because I happened across his website, and his images had such character\u2026 I sent him that first email, told him my story, and he just \u201cgot\u201d it. Sometimes you just have to put stuff out in the universe, and the universe in turn helps you out. It rewards you. I was rewarded in finding Joe. And he\u2019s a family guy, so he could understand the emotions I am describing when I shared the loss of my husband. Maybe not identify with them \u2013 people really can\u2019t, unless they\u2019ve been through it personally \u2013 but he could understand the love and attachment involved in creating a life with someone, something you fully expect will last forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure when this project is completed, all of my friends will absolutely HATE this picture\u2026 it\u2019s not often I show my \u201csad\u201d face, and I\u2019m working for this one to be absolutely representative of my inner self \u2013 probably the saddest I\u2019ve ever been in my whole entire life. But it is part of who I am, and the bridge to the next phase of my life, the one with \u201cjust Shirley\u201d in it. The Shirley that doesn\u2019t need protection. The Shirley who isn\u2019t afraid to live her life the way she chooses. The Shirley who recognizes the value of happiness, and the price that is paid for it. And when that phase begins, I\u2019ll be ready.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shirley,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you for allowing me to do this project with you. I hope that it was as inspiring and helpful for you as it was for me.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Healing\"Healing\"Healing\"Healing\"Healing\"Healing<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes things just happen that are supposed to happen. Every once in a while my career can feel like a job. Pay the rent, order the products, fix the computers, etc…. Then I get a call from someone like Shirley that really sets me back on course and I fall in love with why I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":553,"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542\/revisions\/553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joelatterphotographer.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}