On Learning.

"Learn all the hardest ways to do everything so you can do anything." - Anne Bailey

That's how our day started. I feel pretty tired and emotionally drained...but in a good way. I learned that my time on Peaks reflected my emotions in the past week. It's pretty erie actually. I was wondering aimlessly and alone on Peaks and what I hadn't thought about was that I had picked an island in the winter time. Like I had mentioned in the last post, I was having a hard time with the assignment in general. I've been feeling lost, homesick, alone, and isolated. I freaking choose and island! That's like the ultimate parallel to the word isolation. I choose to wander alone in the snow covered woods and into some time forgotten bunker. I was alone. I didn't get it.

My second day on Peaks I found what I was looking for. As a photographer and as a person. During our critiques today, I cried. I cried once I realized I had somehow imprinted my emotions onto my work. It's an exciting revelation.

This week's assignment was to follow a stranger home. Before I came to SALT, I read about it briefly on a blog and I freaked! It's actually one of my most feared assignments, but I did it! I followed a guy named Steven around Portland for several hours collecting cans and bottles and then he allowed me into his home. I learned a lot about Steven and I hope we can stay in touch.

I'm learning that if I continue to push myself through these assignments, they are not as bad as I had visioned. NOTE TO SELF: be less dramatic.