And then the world got very, very small.
Right now, my world has three bedrooms. A population of five, unless you count the dog. It’s been quite the shift from my normal life. I’m an explorer at heart, but suddenly there’s nowhere to go. Maybe the backyard.
Most of my creative work is inspired by travel. My work is connected to places on the other side of the world. Places that are now off limits. But I do believe that your inner creativity can play on any playground. Sometimes restrictions bring out ideas you wouldn’t have had otherwise, like the “rules” on Whose Line.
Since my photography isn’t the most exciting these days, I started this new project. #andtheworldgotsmaller Surprisingly, so much detail goes into trying to make a mini-me in Photoshop. Things I don’t always think about matter. Focus. Light intensity. The direction of shadows. And the finished product is always imperfect but the journey is fun.
These days remind me a bit of my time in South Africa. When I visited in 2013, I stayed in a children’s home in a neighborhood that was unsafe for me to venture into. I didn’t have easy access to transport outside, and I had very limited internet access. What did I do? I read a book every day until I ran out. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I learned new ways to pray and meditate. And I learned and grew so much by exploring inwards. And I really bonded with the kids who I shared a hallway with.
If you’re a creative, you can still create. And if you’re an explorer, you can definitely still explore. The inward journey is limitless.
And the World Got Smaller
