if it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.
-seth godin

my photos are up in mojos, a local coffee shop. the idea scared me. and it excited me. i “tried” it by thinking about it. then i did it.

i love my pictures. the slants and high contrast and focus. i remember taking each of them. i remember my thoughts. i have a story for each summed up in a word or two.

choosing them and printing them off was like pulling cupcakes out of the oven. affixing them to mats was like frosting. adding text to them was like sprinkles. then i loved them even more. i took pictures of my pictures. i smiled at my favorites. i felt the tender pangs looking at others.

carrying them in to the shop was scary. i resisted the urge to discredit them. i felt awkward and giggly. i remain grateful to have had friends help hang them. i said i felt like an imposter. i was encouraged and nudged and referred to as “the artist formerly known as kristin.” when i wanted to take a picture of the college boys sitting in a booth with my photos, my friend fake posed so i could hide behind my shyness a bit. i filled out my skin while i covered walls as the evening went on.

going in for the first time was scary, like nervous stomach diarrhea scary. i felt exposed and shy and proud and excited all at the same time. deep breath, stand tall, smile at the things you love.

i had dreamt that all the photos fell off, was reassured that they were fine. but when i went for the first time panels started literally falling off the walls. another friend took me to the hardware store for the tiniest, longest nails we could find. we went around and hammered two nails into each panel while people were milling about.  do it, she told me.

claiming my work with pounding interruptions.

claiming a part of me that i love knowing that even if i would be the only one who loves it, it is worth loving.

she left pieces of her life behind her everywhere she went.
it’s easier to feel the sunlight without them, she said.
-brian andreas

all photos in the show can be found on instagram: kristin1973