Photo Walk Rituals
It’s been a looong time since I’ve picked up my camera ~ but recently, my camera has been tugging at my heart, nudging me to pick her up, dust her off, and take her out for a walk. When this nudge didn’t leave me, even a week later, I reflected and realized that a part of me was insecure about strolling around my neighborhood with my camera… I could hear my inner critic’s echos of who are you to walk outside, mid-day, on a weekday, just to take photos? You’re not even a ‘photographer’… what’s the point? What will you DO with the photos you end up taking?
It became very clear that once again, a deeply embedded fear of being seen, of taking up space, was indeed taking up too much space within my own psyche. I knew I had to squash those thoughts and insecurities by directly going against them — by picking up my camera, going for a goddamn walk, and taking photos of whatever sparked my spirit. I called this Venus day adventure my Photo Walk Ritual ~ and with the help of ChatGPT, I set out with a theme of capturing Soft Contrast, in whatever ways sparked my inspiration during a 30 minute walk.
Not only did I have such a wonderful time on this sacred walk, but I also noticed how much more present I was with my surroundings. I walked so slowly, pausing along the way to capture moments of beauty, of contrast, around me. The depth of presence I felt during this walk — with my camera in hand, focused on the pure task of capturing beauty — made me reflect on all the times in the past when I was actively filmmaking, documenting, capturing, sharing… and how much it lifts my spirit to be in communion with art and my personal artistry.
I recalled a question my sister once asked me, back when I was filming for YouTube regularly — does it take you out of the present moment when you’re always behind a camera? My answer — a resounding NO! My camera actually helps me drop deeper into presence. I feel like I’m more in tune with my surroundings when I zone in on them for the simple purpose of capturing beauty (rather than walking around lost in my thoughts).
These photos aren’t award-winning; they won’t change the world or spark a global revolution. But what they did do was a spark a quiet revolution, a reclamation, within my own spirit. I feel better because I took 30 minutes just to create and make art. I feel stronger because I took up space, to be seen as an artist — a muscle I vow to continue flexing until the day I die.
I’ve been off social media for a long time ~ over 4 months off Instagram and even longer on YouTube. While I needed that time away, I cannot deny that a part of me has missed the simple joys of capturing and sharing mundane moments of beauty & reflections online.
I have a lot more to say on where I’m at with social media, and what might be next (there will be a piece on this soon, I think) — but for now, I plan to continue my Photo Walk Ritual as a weekly practice; and to continue taking baby steps in reclaiming my artistry — one photo, one essay, one video at a time.
Perhaps this ritual will inspire you to get out there and create something too. You’re worth it.
