Vulnerability

Over the years my idea of vulnerability has changed drastically, especially after reading Brené Brown’s book Daring Greatly. In Daring Greatly, Brown presents new ideas based on years of research that describe what it truly means to feel shame, vulnerable and the meaning of true human connection. I found this book completely relatable and important for me as an artist because like most artists I reveal so much in my work that it can make it hard to share with others. I found this series especially difficult to share because most of the images are self portrait, which for me is a very intimate process.

I see so much of my younger self in these images and my ideas and biases of what it meant to feel vulnerable as a woman, and as a man. For me today, these ideas have dramatically shifted. I hope to build on this series to reflect my new perspective and in turn create images that more accurately reflect the role of vulnerability in our lives. Earlier in my life I saw it as power. I still believe that others can use vulnerability to take control of peoples feelings and actions, but I see it as much more than that now. There are not only bad and dark feelings associated with vulnerability but also happy that allow us to deeply and meaningful connect as described by Brown. I found this to be true when capturing male subjects, and yet I knew that I had failed to capture them in a way that truly represented them. With my series Outside Eyes, I reexamined these ideas and dug deeper into facets of female and my own personal vulnerability. Outside Eyes describes my experiences with men, and my own experience of vulnerability often giving more than I receive. I hope to add more of these complicated feelings to this series to create a more accurate portrayal of vulnerability. And work closer with men to capture their reality.