Life is meant to be shared. This is my belief and what I use as a basis for a lot of my decisions. It is part of the reason why I enjoy photography and it is part of the reason why I enjoy doing what I do. And when I explain why I believe this way maybe it can add some perspective to your decisions. After all, life is all about perspective.
So, why do I believe that life is meant to shared? Life is this beautiful thing that we all have in common, we all share. And yet, even though we all share it, all of our lives are different from the next person's. The events that occur in my life differ from the events in yours. Even if we are at the same event. And while that in itself is already pretty amazing this gets even more stunning as we continue.
Our senses add another layer to life and living. The sounds you hear, the aromas you smell, the images you see, and the things you touch. Our senses add another layer (or dimension if you will) to the things we encounter daily that make up our lives. Now imagine someone being able to tell you about something they experienced. How much more amazing would it be to feel that experience? Or to see that experience? This is where photography plays a special part for me, in my life.
Photography allows us to capture a moment, a segment, of life. And with this captured segment we can now SHOW someone else a part of our life. I use my camera as a tool to not only capture and share pictures but to also capture and share moments of my life with others. I am allowed to let you see from my eye's vantage point what I have seen, in living color. I am able to record a video or snap a picture that you can now temporarily live through. There is a connection I am attempting to create, with every image I share. I want you to live vicariously through my camera lens (or lenses haha). But this is just me and this is just photography. How do you share moments of your life if you do not have the convenience of using a camera? Well this is where things get really special.
We have been given a unique gift. The gift of communication. When I say communication, I mean more than the customary greetings of hello. I mean more than the pleasantries we may exchange with each other on a daily basis. The gift of communication allows us to share parts of not only our lives but us. It allows us to share what we hold close to each other, what makes us tick, what motivates us to move forward. The gift of communication allows us to share in more ways than speaking.
We can share via recipes, photographs, artwork, skillmanship, craftsmanship, and many other ways. But one of the best ways it allows us to communicate is through love. By showing love and sharing love we are intentionally/unintentionally sharing our lives. By sharing our lives it not only provides someone else with the opportunity to understand us and be part of our lives. It allows us to attach more meaning and purpose to our lives. But it is entirely your choice.
You make the decision of what part of your life you want to share, and who you want to share it with. You can easily decide not to share any of your life with anyone but yourself. That is your choice. But remember that your life is your story. And every story requires an audience, not including its author.
Even if it is only for a few lines.