The ReliNquish project

re·lin·quish

/rəˈliNGkwiSH/

verb

voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up.

(in my case, control.)

I believe that in today’s world, life is fast-paced and it is easy to lose focus and take it all in. Distractions lay at every turn. The world swirls around us at warp speed; it is hard to slow down and see the beauty that surrounds us.

I believe in celebrating childhood. 

Kids can teach us a lot, if we just slow down enough to let them.

As a photographer, I came to a crossroads in my work. I needed to shake things up. I needed inspiration and to look at the world differently. My work felt too literal, maybe even stale. I was longing for some inspiration. Little did I know the inspiration I needed was right in front of me all along.

Linnéa was four when this project started. She has her own ideas on what is beautiful and meaningful. Her self-esteem is boundless. She is like a clean slate, pristine, yet to be influenced by the outside world.

She teaches me resilience, patience, frustration, and a level of joy and love greater than anything I’ve experienced before.  She reminds me to be playful, to slow down and be present.  I am learning that when I let her take the lead in life, both of our worlds grow for the better.

In this body of work I have given my four-year-old daughter the lead and created a series of diptychs based off of her photographs, which has helped me to see the world from a simpler, more carefree and fearless point of view. Her photos are interactions with the world around her, created from a place of emotion, curiosity, and pride.

By consciously following her example, I have worked to rediscover my own interpretations of these elements in my work.

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