Have you felt the magic of Chelsea Victoria’s photography? Lady of Chinatown, Through the Trees and Wonderland all paint three separate stories for me which is why I’ve selected them to share below. I find most of her photos to be like this though, they make you really stop and look. And think. And then you begin to slip away into a little daydream. And let’s face it, sometimes we need daydreams because life can present challenges and leave us with little time to play around with ideas in our head, alone, being imaginative and creative and dreaming… So take a moment out for yourself now and look at these photos one by one and try to see beyond them if you can – create a little tale or see what feeling they give you.
I remember when I once worked in a cubicle I had the most amazing rotating gallery of photos that I had taken — all of them arranged in a way that helped keep me sane in a very busy job. I had photographs of London and Paris and Germany mostly, and lots of poems and inspirational quotes on my wall. I even had photos from my friends around, and lots of pictures of me with my friends. I guess all of that helped me to play escape artist throughout the day as it was so easy to feel lost and out of touch with my dreams back then being young with little money and a very good job that I loved but also felt scared to stay in forever because I knew it gave me no real ability to express my creativity and this bothered me so much. I think that is why today I support and write about art and photographers and creative types for a living, because I see their work as being more than just pretty or nice but as motivating, powerful and often able to lift us from very dark places and I want others to pay attention to that. Many still do not know the power in a simple, beautiful photograph. Or a painting that completely touches their heart.
One look at a particular print, photograph or painting in my home and I experience some emotion whether it be excitement, passion, encouragement, deliverance, peace. It’s important to look for work that gives you emotions that can save you on days when life feels really, really scary or cold or like a losing battle. We can all have tough days or even periods of time but I believe that all of the photos I took and displayed in my big beige cubicle gave me hope, vision, gave me something to work towards though at the time I wasn’t even sure exactly what yet but I knew I’d someday find love, end up in Europe, and be working in a creative field as a motivator and supporter and writer of some sort. I knew I wanted more. If you think art as therapy or art as emotional support sounds crazy, then I understand because it sounds a little crazy as I type it. Almost like I’m blogging under the influence or something. But I just had this idea that if we could all create the life we want to have around us today, even if only through a window of photography, paintings, etc. then could it make the current moment feel more pleasurable and could it possibly lead to something greater down the road? How long can you look at something and want for something and dream of something without eventually taking hold of it — I mean I may be a dreamer but can it be possible that perhaps seeing and believing can ultimately lead to having?
I don’t wonder anymore. It’s possible for some and why not let the some be you? Post some photos around that help you to feel very specific emotions, or that remind you of attainable dreams. A mentor can show the way. A role model can lead by example. Can a seemingly simply photograph be your guide as you go?
(images: chelsea victoria)
Tags: photographer
February 11th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
What an absolutely fun, exciting, creative, healing way to look at photographs. I know when I happen upon certain images, they make my heart sing. It may sound nutty, but hey, I don’t care. Dreams and motivation are good things and I’ll gladly accept any assistance I can get in that area.
Creative types out there are very fortunate to have you on their side! And, as a creative type, I would like to thank you for your support.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Selvedge Magazine =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Gorgeous photography and beautifully said… oh the places your mind can go staring at these images!
.-= laura trevey´s last blog ..Are you a Flirt? =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Oh my, these are so lovely! The first one especially now…while I like the other two, mist and haze is not something I want to look at in the dead of winter in Wisconsin – there’s enough of that outside right now. :\
.-= Kim at EF eDesigns´s last blog ..I Need Your Help! =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
It’s not exactly the same thing, but I have a folder of beautiful garden and topiary images saved on my computer to inspire the children’s novel I’m writing. It’s not really research, and I don’t plan to use them in an exact way as setting inspiration. But seeing those beautiful images gets me excited about the pretty world in my head that I want to share in my story.
.-= virginia @ where you hang your hat´s last blog ..color: domino inspiration for blue + white =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
So beautiful photography. I love these colors :))
I love the first picture. Thanks!
.-= Raru´s last blog ..Bakery "Frantz & Ivy" ? ??????? "Frantz & Ivy" =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Thank you for your inspirational post and the discovery of these photos – real dreams they are…
.-= Ivana´s last blog ..Paper Dolls =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Wonderfully inspirational post Holly. =) xoxo
.-= Shanon´s last blog ..{strawberry cupcakes} =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
These photographs are intensely beautiful. I think the idea of art as therapy or vision isn’t crazy at all. I’m working on writing a book and one piece of advice I read was to create a collage representing your book’s main characters, symbols, storyline, with the title of the book and the names of the characters. I did it, and it’s almost magical, I can just look at that and it summons all of this emotion and creativity from one page. I guess I need to collage my life now :-)
.-= Valerie´s last blog ..It List: Still life with flowers =-.
February 11th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Beautiful uplifting photography. Thank you so much for that Holly, just reading it gave me butterflies and got me motivated and excited. I agree with you, art is therapy for me and always lifts me up to a happy place. It makes me happy to hear that you are finally doing what you love, it’s so inspiring!
February 11th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
inspiring photos — they made me smile
February 11th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Thank you so much for sharing that. You brought to my attention how much all the photography displayed in my home really has emotional meaning to me – the photo of my daughter with our whole family; the still-life photo I took in my first photography class; the black and white landscape I found in the back of a salvage shop covered in dust. They all mark important moments for me and have dreams of the future all wrapped up inside them. It brings a smile to my face to have all these dreams, past and present, brought before my eyes again. And I know I’ll choose the rest of the art that hangs in our home with even greater care now.
.-= Meredith´s last blog ..Resolution No. 6: Homemade Sandwich Bread =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:32 am
No you don’t sound crazy, you sound right! There is something beautiful about being surrounded by inspiration. I also adore the photographs, wow.
.-= Patrizia´s last blog ..McQueen =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:46 am
I completely get it. I agree. I love the word deliverance. That captures the experience of healing through art perfectly!
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Okay, I promised… =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:25 am
wonderful pics
.-= Melibu´s last blog ..Cans for comments – The pics ! =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 5:24 am
delicious. and totally agree about surrounding ourselves with inspiring art. for warmth. healing. joy. wherever it takes us really.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:27 am
how beautifully you put in words what every artist trapped in a cubicle feels like…I know because I am one! :-)
February 12th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I love the subtle color. It’s so dreamlike!
February 12th, 2010 at 10:39 am
I covered my cube walls in cute fabric – one was a nice green linen. In the middle of it I had this huge picture of the Hawaiian coastline – I cannot tell you how many times I would sit on a conference call and just gaze into that picture, dreaming my way there and pretending I was sitting on the cliffs looking down at the sea.
yes, a inspiring photo is a great thing.
.-= juliette´s last blog ..3 Cozy Ways to Counter Cabin Fever =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Blogging under the influence of art :) Who needs drugs when you can escape into the lovely world, as captured by someone else (or even yourself).
Lovely, lovely images you’ve shared.
.-= Victoria Bennett Beyer´s last blog ..The Path We Take =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
I just adore this sentence: “It’s possible for some and why not let the some be you?”
.-= gwen´s last blog ..Querido =-.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Holly, You remind me that I do not currently have a visual inspiration – either consciously or subconsciously – and I could benefit from one. When I was in college, I would pick up postcard reproductions of paintings and photographs (I couldn’t afford the real art!), and then one day I looked up at my bulletin board and realized that all of the postcards were of strong, beautiful women. I think I did not have any real, human role models of strong, beautiful women, so I found them through art. Over the years, I’ve gotten rid of a lot of old stuff, since I live in a small apartment, but I’ve always kept a manila folder with those images. I’ll go look at them now. Thank you!
.-= Lizzy´s last blog ..safe travels – mexico =-.
February 13th, 2010 at 11:51 am
omg! that is my apartment! (the yellow building at the end of the alley, top floor with the plants on the fire escape) i love what a small world it can be :)
February 13th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
thank you for this post! i believe this with all my heart. i too did the same when i was in my little grey box (cubicle). i found a way to cope by the images i enveloped myself in and it helped….i also would sneak to look at your site throughout the day, lol….it always made me feel better. i was recently let go, but in my case, it’s what i needed most; to be released. now, i am confused, but at least i don’t feel stuck and inspiration abounds :oD
.-= Sara´s last blog ..Moon in Libra, Can You Hear Me? =-.
February 13th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
I absolutely agree with your post. I’ve always found pictures, quotes etc. inspirational and try to surround myself, at work and in my craft room, with those types of things. Beautifully put!!
.-= Chelsea Merrifield´s last blog ..Baby Gage and Chandaliers =-.
February 15th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Love the tones of each of these images. The cyan color mellows me out, it’s peaceful!
.-= Viola´s last blog ..Be Still My Bleeding Heart – 5×5 Fine Art Photograph =-.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:20 am
“a very good job that I loved but also felt scared to stay in forever because I knew it gave me no real ability to express my creativity and this bothered me so much.”
I feel this way right now, I’m a little tired of my job and I’m thinking about change my live. I want to open a small shop and try to enjoy more my life, try to be more creative and help other people to be too.
.-= Saioa´s last blog ..Macarons party =-.