DREAMING IS STILL LEGAL

“DREAMING IS STILL LEGAL”. THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM A PHOTO BOOK I BOUGHT AT AN SPE (SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC EDUCATION) EVENT BACK IN 2019. THE PHRASE HAS STUCK WITH ME EVER SINCE. TO ME, IN THIS WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IS BEING WATCHED, CENSORED, AND TOLD HOW TO REACT, THE LINE TOOK AN EVEN GREATER MEANING FOR ME. I HAVE DREAMS, GOALS AND SO ON AND THOSE DREAMS ARE WHAT MAKES ME, ME. DREAMS ARE UNIQUELY OURS. I BEGAN WRITING POETRY AND PHOTOGRAPHING VARIOUS SUBJECTS ON THE THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS I FEEL LIVING IN THE WORLD I JUST DESCRIBED. THE IMAGES ARE A MIX OF FILM & DIGITAL MEDIUMS. THROUGHOUT THE BOOK EACH LINE OF TEXT IS PAIRED SPORADICALLY WITH A PHOTOGRAPH AND AT THE END OF THE BOOK ALL THE LINES FORM A FINISHED POEM. THIS PROJECT WAS A FREEING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, ENJOY. OH, AND ONE MORE THING TO NOT FORGET,

DREAMING IS STILL LEGAL.