Feeling grateful. This past weekend I photographed the family of a long-time friend at their cottage in Muskoka. The last time I was up at her cottage we were both in our youth, no kids. Now she, her brother and I all have daughters. There were a total of 5 little girls.
The kind of play and adventure the children had together in the woods and the water made me long for a simpler life, where we are intimately connected to nature and to family. Witnessing their limitless imaginations at play they inspired me to play more in my own life, to experiment with art materials and possibility without fear.
Midway through the day we decided to make a fairy house at the base of one of the trees. I love how children believe in magic. They believe that anything is possible. I feel like this can be a core belief in any one of us if we uncover all the layers we have built on ourselves telling us that we “can’t”. There are so many ways to live our lives and I’m learning that the most important voice to listen to is my own. As we grow up we are taught to listen to so many other voices that sometimes our own voice gets lost.
Children have a lot to teach us if we can slow down to listen. When I photograph children, I feel like I am listening. I am fully present to their wonder. I hope that by showing this in my photographs that others can experience it too.
Look at these little wonders.
