Behind the Lens: Who is my art for?
“…I hope that my photos allow viewers to experience a moment of introspection that leads to a sense of emotional healing and stress relief. My goal is encourage folks to hold on to that healing and relief and use it to fuel fully embracing and loving on themselves as they move through life.”
Image made with Canva
When I reflect on my career as a Med Peds doctor, I recognize my greatest gift to my patients (and my greatest skill) was listening to their stories. I believe there are few things in life as sacred and loving as being trusted to both listen and engage with someone who is vulnerably sharing their personal experience with you. I really listened to my patients because I cared and I wanted to let them know that I trusted that they had a knowing, or an intuition, about what their bodies were telling them. This was particularly important for me when I cared for my Black and Brown patients. It was my way to communicate that I believed in their power and autonomy to get themselves to a needed result and that I was with them as they navigated their experience. Now, I wasn’t always excelling at this, but I was honest with myself when I wasn’t, I took critique along the way, and I was consistently doing the internal work to make sure I was as present, loving, and as vulnerable as I could be as their healthcare provider.
Burnout has led me to reimagine how I serve my patients using my innate talents and skills. As I transition to working in medicine in different capacities, I see my role as a physician photographer as an extension of the love I have had for my patients and my way to uplift their stories. I want the skill, the care, the vulnerability, and the personal investment that I put into making and taking each of my photos to be shared with patients in all walks of their lives. My photography has been my connection to healing through my burnout for many years and I want to give that healing energy and my commitment to being a present and loving healer with others. When people look at my photographs (and all my artwork) I want them to know that they are seen and supported in their healthcare and self care journeys.
I hope that my photos are present in people’s homes, doctor offices, healthcare facilities, galleries, and museums in my local communities, across this country, and hopefully across the world. I hope that my photos allow viewers to experience a moment of introspection that leads to a sense of emotional healing and stress relief. My goal is encourage folks to hold on to that healing and relief and use it to fuel fully embracing and loving on themselves as they move through life.
