The COVID-19 pandemic has given many of us—including me—a chance to slow down, take inventory of what’s really important, and create in ways that we never thought possible.
Over the past several months, I joined other creators in a series of workshops led by my photographic mentor Laurie Klein. The workshops helped us explore different aspects of our photographic lives and encouraged us to go on new personal artistic journeys.
Through these sessions, I started to see my surroundings in a whole new way. Despite the uncertainty and anxiety in the outside world, I saw more and more creative opportunities in my orbit. A new light filled me with hope and excitement.
I started to write. And then write more. And kept writing as much as I could. Words flowed out faster than I could grab a pen to commit them to the page.
As I wrote, I dove deeper into a theme that has followed me throughout my creative work: the connection between the water, the air, and the earth.
I have always felt a deep connection to both the sea and the moon—one a powerful force of nature, and the other a celestial body that controls its movement. The water climbs the moon-drenched sea shore, bringing together the heavenly air, the grounded earth, and the powerful waters. The turtle follows behind, as he does in so many of my works, as the living connection between the heavens and the earth.
Below is a small sample of my upcoming book about my journey to find the connection between the water, the air, the earth, and myself. Enjoy The Midnight’s Dream (an excerpt from my upcoming book The Joy Element: The Sea and Me), and visit my shop to see more of the turtle and other works!
A Midnight's Dream
She lays here surrounded by the soft sounds of the ocean
with the midnight sand caressing her feet.
She falls into her dreams as the wind begins to blow
and now she sees a magical show.
The moon was bright but ever so quiet.
He introduced himself with a friendly hello
She was in awe with what she saw as she smiled back from down below.
He swirled her within his arms that night
and all the stars came out so bright
They danced across the dreamy sand
and it was a beautiful night to touch his hand.
Then he had to say good-bye, ‘But wait!'
she replies, ‘I just want one more dance…
I just want another moon dance.’
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