« Previous | Main | Next »

The Soul of Seeing

December 06, 2007

susan_preston_seeingthrough.jpg

Seeing Through ~ Canon 30d

What do you feel when you look at this image? I encourage you to pause inside of yourself and consider what you see. How does it make you feel? What message does the image hold for you? What is the message your soul wishes you to encounter through this image? Through any image?

I've recently immersed myself in a wonderful book entitled Dark Nights of the Soul, written by Jungian analyst, Thomas Moore. The book is richly studded with brilliant jewels of awareness ~ the kind of jewels that sparkle brightest in the midst of the blackest dark ~ jewels one can only unearth by reaching deep into the places that scare you. Nestled within the pages I found the following paragraph, which struck an incredibly deep chord with me. Perhaps it will strike a match within my viewers...

Photography is a contemporary art form that has an extraordinary capacity to reveal the hidden soul. In a photograph you see things that pass by unnoticed in the flow of life. As you look closely at the images, fragments of stories come to mind – the past interrupts the present and is always the bearer of Soul. You see the arc of your life, and for a moment you step out of time and visit the past.
The camera's version of the past may be different from that of your current memory, and the jarring of a photograph can wake you up to a new interpretation of who you were and what you've become.

I came across this passage as my plane began its descent, marking the beginning of my Thanksgiving journey to Kansas City. Moore's words embedded deeply within me, reflecting so much of what goes on within my heart and how fragments of these reflections find their way up here.

A dear friend of mine who has a passionate interest in art therapy recently introduced me to Sand Play, which consists of picking out objects and arranging them in a sandbox to reveal what the subconscious is dealing with. No matter how intentional your approach might be, hidden wisdom and remarkable clues find their way into your consciousness, especially if you're open and willing to receive them. I highly recommend the experience, which is meditative, insightful and healing.

Combining Moore's thoughts along with my Sand Play experience has made me more aware of the process I go through when writing about my images. What I see when I interpret my photographs really is a meditation, and my soul really does communicate to me through my interpretations. When I'm getting ready to post a photograph, I have no idea what words will be paired with it. I pick a photograph that strikes a chord at that particular moment, and the message is inspired by it. There are thousands of images on my hard drive... why do I pick the ones I pick?

This is the way creativity works, and it's very powerful.

We are spiritual, creative beings, and the Soul wishes to reveal itself to us. Our hearts wish to be healed. A picture is never just a picture, and if you're drawn to paint something in particular, just have to take a shot of a particular scene, or become mesmerized by a painting in a museum, ask yourself deeply... why? Why am I so drawn to this subject matter? What is the healer within me wanting me to see? This intentional kind of creativity can deepen the journey toward oneself, making you a wiser and stronger person.

So, back to the image above. At the moment of its taking, I was freezing my butt off on the ferry taking Rob and me to Martha's Vineyard when a young man walked up and took his place in front of me, as if on cue. I knew the shot would render a ton of flare and figured the image would be useless, but put the viewfinder up to my face to shoot anyway. What the heck, I thought... just document the trip! I was just as oblivious to the salty coating of sea spray covering my lens as I was to what I would find within the image 2 months later.

What do you see up there? My interpretation speaks deeply to me, but what do you see?

Posted by vincent at December 6, 2007 01:03 PM

Comments

I see a soul wishing he could make out what lies ahead, but just as in life, sometimes the view is too bright or too cloudy to see. We just have to keep moving forward and trust that at some point, we will see clearly.

Posted by: jayne at December 6, 2007 04:30 PM

I see a person trying to peer at what the future holds for him, the brightness of the sun promising good fortune and good luck as he sails the seas of life. The fluffy clounds signify a soft, safe landing to any hardships or pain. It is a very positive image for me.

Posted by: janet at December 6, 2007 04:42 PM

I see a person in a world of dimness and twilight seeing the light perhaps for the first time, and it's sudden like turning on a light in the darkness and you have to shield your eyes, but they want this badly enough to keep facing it. The dark is still trying to press in but can't overcome the light.

Posted by: Leigh at December 8, 2007 08:10 AM

I see a man trying to look into the face of God. The spots are the angels that surround Him. Or perhaps upon second seeing I see a man desperately searching for more and God's answer. But mostly I see great hope. This was really cool. Thanks.

Posted by: candy at December 8, 2007 08:26 AM