Soundtrack in Isolation: Wait ~ M83 22, A million ~ Bon Iver You are the apple ~ Lady Lamb
Avatar the Last Air-bender + The Legend of Korra
Yes these are at base level kids TV shows but there is a reason that everyone has been so hyped about their arrival on Netflix. The animations are stunning and interestingly enough for a 2005 Nickelodeon show it deals with some pretty modern issues. Both teach you about life, love, loss and how to properly look after a sky-bison whats not to love ?
I felt pretty useless at a certain point in May I didn't know what i was doing and all the opportunities i had opened up for myself prior to the pandemic were all collapsing in front of me like a crumbling tunnel. So in essence the project was born out of a place of pain of not knowing my place in a changing world. The constant monotonous world really hurt me as I have a tendency to spiral and overthink if i do not keep my mind busy, I felt genuinely at the lowest I have ever been with some days just being pure darkness. I am aware of how lucky i have been though, to not have been struck by bereavement so the time I have spent listening to and meeting people helped me especially ground myself.
So 4 months ago i started a little project in order to document the personal experiences of normal people, the aim was to give every participant the choice to as to when and where they wanted their photos to be taken. They would then write their own creative piece on their thoughts and feelings and experiences thus giving them most of the artistic freedom to tell their own stories. I found that nearly everyone I interviewed would open with "I dont know how to model etc." "sorry if im awkward", it was at these precise moments that i would start taking pictures as they would be at their most natural. Taking portraits of people as they talk or in between them talking about their lives, passions and struggles I hoped to capture human emotion in a pure form frozen in time.
Alice taught me the capacity of caring for strangers. Rosie taught me the crucial role of student nurses in the fight against the virus. Alfie taught me the importance of self awareness and self improvement. Jack taught me about loving the simple moments. Nadia taught me about resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Eleanor taught me never ending positivity and the importance of having safe spaces. Melody Taught me the importance of mental well-being and being present in the moment. Bartek and Magda taught me that if you have a vision and you follow it and surround yourself with the right people you can achieve anything.
As I close the 102 days project I would like to say that this is only an interlude, I have a lot more ideas and other mini projects on the go currently which i cannot wait to share with you all.
So to everyone who participated and all those I met along the way, thank you you're all a credit to humanity.
Remember sometimes you just need to take a leap and do something if you love it or want to make a difference, if nobody else benefits from it you will :)
Nothing but love and admiration,
Thomas x
Ps. The project will be coming out in book form in late September with all profits made being donated to NHS registered charities. If youre interested in getting a copy drop me an email or message oon my socials :)
