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Who ever said procrastination wasn’t productive??! puh-lease. What was meant to be a new look for my podcast ‘Misadventures of Healing Black Girl’ turned into a cohesive visual front that is versatile, easily recognizable, and just overall dope and meee- and I hope it resonates with y’all as much as it does w me becauuuse I LUUV ITTT!! you guys loooook
Inspo: ‘Be Kind To Yourself’ by Selman Hoşgör
Has self-portraiture changed the way you perceive yourself? How so?
Yes! Immensely! Aggressively! From the very first moment I turned on my first camera, which I purchased in 2017, I felt very comfortable and safe in front of the lens which helped me to unveil. This allowed me to strip off all false identities I had created for myself, unrealistic expectations and projections from my community, as well as toxic societal pressures and standards. I was able to make space for the broken Lynn who was insecure in her skin, body, and environment, but re-learning self-love, forgiveness, and the power of healing.
Self-portraiture has created the space for me to express myself when I am at a loss for words. My work can be very emotional and intimate but it has immensely helped me on my journey to learning to love myself and coming to peace with my body, my story, my journey, my being.
2. What enchants you the most about photography?
What enchants me most about photography is that it allows us to tell captivating stories of love, joy, celebration, alongside stories of pain, trauma, and hardship. They don't have to be mutually exclusive. From the moment you pick up a camera, you become a storyteller and you get to develop the story that you want to share. It's a beautiful and sacred practice that I don't take lightly.
3. To you, what is the importance of portraying stories of black joy in art at the current moment?
Black joy is the backbone of black resilience. With everything that we have endured over the past year- and continue to endure on the daily- and especially with black trauma continually being exploited on social media, in recent films, IN REAL LIFE, we are through. We deserve a break. We deserve the space to grieve, hurt, cry and heal. And beyond that, we deserve for our joy to be documented in the fullness of its complexity. To be embraced, uplifted, and given the opportunity to overshadow the identity/narrative of trauma, struggle, and violence that has, for so long, been attached to our being. We deserve the freedom to live, love, and just be.
My attempt at capturing black joy.—
This week has been rough for us.— On Tuesday, we let out a sigh of relief as George Floyd was redeemed with the long-awaited justice he deserves. But though justice's triumph echoed through our streets, homes, and social media timelines, grief yet again snuck its way back into our hearts as we mourned the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. As we collectively rejoiced at the glimmering hope of change that peeked over the horizon, racial injustice’s dark cloud quickly dimmed its light and reminded us that this is indeed only the beginning.
This rollercoaster of Black mourning is exhaustiiiinnggg.
We are tired of crying out for justice.
We are tired of overcompensating to get you to see us as human.
We are tired of living and walking in fear.
We are tired of countering your preconceived notions about us.
We are tired of mourning the deaths of our fathers, sisters, children, and friends.
We are tired.
This week really threw me out of whack and it FR is by God’s grace that I got through. I'm scared. I don't feel comfortable here. I don't feel welcomed here. Everyday life is exhausting here. I don’t wanna be here. But I’m trying. I really am. I show up every day with crippling fear in my heart but a bright smile on my face and strength on my shoulders. The love of my Father and the sweet embrace of my community keeps me hopeful. My black joy is the backbone of my resilience.
Photography is more of a medium of healing for me than a hobby with a monetary value. Capturing the special moments of my family and friends LITERALLY spiritually, mentally, and physically fuels me to keep faith and trust in the sweet promise of tomorrow.
So um... this is me sharing with you the black joy that fuels and energizes me every day. When I feel invisible, ignored, and overlooked, I look back on these beautiful moments that I've had the honor of capturing of the beautiful people in my life and they gently reaffirm my being and my purpose. And I hope they will do the same for you.
13STORIES is an initiative that I've taken to clear out my camera roll and sd cards and make space for new stuff to hoard for the next couple of years lool. enjoy x
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