03/17/2021
Julia and I connected at the peak of quarantine. When the pandemic began and the murders of black Americans finally got attention, daily protests began openly in the media because those weren’t really new.
When visa issues was, as one of my vendors puts it “prenatal” I was taking in so much new information but was also connecting with so many different people like Julia who understood exactly what this would become and I like to think what’s it’s growing into We don’t really talk much on a regular basis but I like to think it’s because we understand a lot of our struggles within this system....also because it’s exhausting to connect with someone new while trying to survive.
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I was really honored when Julia was open to sharing her story to me and interviewing her family for this. I’m working on regular mailers that send out these “interviews” and stories once a month to give them space outside of this platform. My biggest fear with this is obviously not being able to create the space we deserve, but also just becoming so exhausted that I can no longer keep it up. It takes a huge amount of energy to maintain this and my other work. That energy is always returned though, I have to keep reminding myself. Here are a few ways my energy is returned when:
•financial support comes in ( sales, grants, donations this is me being 100% transparent)
• genuine connections are made and we can talk to each-other like people with care.
• I find a piece of myself in others or vice versa
• learn something new
•I’m able to explore
•when I see Visa Issues inspire others on ANY scale.
•when I see Visa Issues out in the wild
I’m looking forward to hearing from more of you who hopefully in seeing stories that touch piece of you, enables you to share and talk.
That’s all this is, an honest conversation... ♥️
ps. This image was taken with this filter because I wanted to visualize Julia’s narrative, in 3 parts of her in one image. Her mom, her sister and herself.... the holy trinity. All versions given space but tied together. The finally images are shot on 120film at a distance on my rooftop.
