The Ever Spiraling Path of Creativity and the Artist
Hello again my friends. I am trying to be mindful about posting to my blog as I find it a great vehicle to share and communicate what is important or relevant to my creative life and life in general.
I have been really delving deep into my inner world of spirit and exploring more of who I am. It has become important to me of late to seek to be more authentic. You know, share the real me. Much of who I am settles gently into much of my art. But, most are not aware of the physical Cody. Many of you may not have encountered me in person yet. So, it is with this idea in mind I have been unveiling more of who I am.
One thing that many did not know is that I am legally blind due to Albinism. This is because I have changed my appearance so as not to stand out too much in the world. It was my personal mask I created to make me feel safe. I adopted this once I left school and knew I would be out in the cold cruel world. I had enough of being bullied and tormented for how I looked, the way I couldn't physically see and then the last straw, ,my sexual orientation. It was like a triple whammy and I decided that I would be going under cover so to speak. Many years have come and gone since I made that decision. Little did I know how much that would affect my life in both positive and negative ways. Initially it was okay. But, I found myself desperately trying to keep up appearances no matter the cost. Relationships certainly suffered but, I just couldn't face the world as my true self.
Why now you may ask? I am trying to really figure out who I am and how I truly see the world. My physical visual limitations have made me focus differently on how I see. I did learn how to see intuitively instead of what was really there. This in turn helped me to see the soul or spirit of things. Energy and light became very important to me and I strove to explore these things in my artwork. But, now I want to tell my story in a more authentic way. To hopefully inspire someone else and give them hope that all is not lost. We as humans can sometimes be very resourceful in terms of dealing with difficult situations. I am grateful that I now have the courage and insight to open up to the world. Kind of ironic considering the hateful climate that is percolating in this country. But, I choose to focus on the light of hope, love and wisdom to guide me to the answers I seek about myself and the world around me. I truly love my life in all it's ups and downs light and dark times. It made me who I am today and I am so grateful for the people that I call family and friends, and the many opportunities that flow into my life to keep me learning and ever thirsty for knowledge and truth.
If you are curious about how I see the world, I would highly recommend you watch this video.
On to some of my creative endeavors. I am really loving the photography class I am currently taking. I challenges me to think differently about telling stories. This weeks lesson deals with using the images of photographer Duane Michaels as inspiration. He often wrote about his images and the ideas behind them. He did a lot of contemplation about life and the universe. I am interested in the idea of masks. The masks we wear in a figurative sense and the ones we create for ourselves.
These are two of the initial images I was playing around with for my assignment. I love the idea of challenging our notion of self and who we are or think we are. This one I titled "Who Will replace Us?' as a question about the lifespan of the human race and what will come after. Will it be machines?
This image was the first to trigger the whole idea of masks. I love this mask made back in college for a theater production. It has sentimental value in addition to symbolic meaning.
Thank you for letting me share more about myself. I hope that you will find a way in your own time to be authentic. Let your light shine and inspire others in some way. I love you all for being a part of my life. It makes for a rich tapestry indeed.
I have been really delving deep into my inner world of spirit and exploring more of who I am. It has become important to me of late to seek to be more authentic. You know, share the real me. Much of who I am settles gently into much of my art. But, most are not aware of the physical Cody. Many of you may not have encountered me in person yet. So, it is with this idea in mind I have been unveiling more of who I am.
One thing that many did not know is that I am legally blind due to Albinism. This is because I have changed my appearance so as not to stand out too much in the world. It was my personal mask I created to make me feel safe. I adopted this once I left school and knew I would be out in the cold cruel world. I had enough of being bullied and tormented for how I looked, the way I couldn't physically see and then the last straw, ,my sexual orientation. It was like a triple whammy and I decided that I would be going under cover so to speak. Many years have come and gone since I made that decision. Little did I know how much that would affect my life in both positive and negative ways. Initially it was okay. But, I found myself desperately trying to keep up appearances no matter the cost. Relationships certainly suffered but, I just couldn't face the world as my true self.
Why now you may ask? I am trying to really figure out who I am and how I truly see the world. My physical visual limitations have made me focus differently on how I see. I did learn how to see intuitively instead of what was really there. This in turn helped me to see the soul or spirit of things. Energy and light became very important to me and I strove to explore these things in my artwork. But, now I want to tell my story in a more authentic way. To hopefully inspire someone else and give them hope that all is not lost. We as humans can sometimes be very resourceful in terms of dealing with difficult situations. I am grateful that I now have the courage and insight to open up to the world. Kind of ironic considering the hateful climate that is percolating in this country. But, I choose to focus on the light of hope, love and wisdom to guide me to the answers I seek about myself and the world around me. I truly love my life in all it's ups and downs light and dark times. It made me who I am today and I am so grateful for the people that I call family and friends, and the many opportunities that flow into my life to keep me learning and ever thirsty for knowledge and truth.
If you are curious about how I see the world, I would highly recommend you watch this video.
On to some of my creative endeavors. I am really loving the photography class I am currently taking. I challenges me to think differently about telling stories. This weeks lesson deals with using the images of photographer Duane Michaels as inspiration. He often wrote about his images and the ideas behind them. He did a lot of contemplation about life and the universe. I am interested in the idea of masks. The masks we wear in a figurative sense and the ones we create for ourselves.
These are two of the initial images I was playing around with for my assignment. I love the idea of challenging our notion of self and who we are or think we are. This one I titled "Who Will replace Us?' as a question about the lifespan of the human race and what will come after. Will it be machines?
This image was the first to trigger the whole idea of masks. I love this mask made back in college for a theater production. It has sentimental value in addition to symbolic meaning.
Thank you for letting me share more about myself. I hope that you will find a way in your own time to be authentic. Let your light shine and inspire others in some way. I love you all for being a part of my life. It makes for a rich tapestry indeed.
Comments
hugs Karen