The Passages Story

… it came one day at a time, over the course of many years. From my days as a child daydreaming my own fairytales to the challenges of youth and growing into adulthood, every experience I had was collected and stored, waiting to be retold and shared. It wasn’t until I discovered photography and my love for costume making and world building that I realized all these stories and experiences I had been collecting could be compiled into one grand story. A fantastical, whimsical, and beautiful story.

And so I began to develop my collection of stories. I created a main character and I gave her a name: Chloe, which means “to bloom” in Greek. Perfect for a character that starts out young and naive, but then begins to learn and grow as her adventure becomes both harder and more incredible. The name also happened to be the name of my youngest sister, the sister who was my very first model I practiced my photography with. And so I enlisted my sister as the model and protagonist of my series.

As an artist, I was inspired to start this story simply for art’s sake. However, I also wanted to share this story because I know I’m not alone in these experiences. With this story, I hope to help others see the value that our experiences bring to our lives. And while all these events have vastly different emotions and feelings attached to them, when approached and experienced with faith, incredible things can happen. We grow, we become new, and we become masters at what once seemed so impossible.

… as a title is something I really thought for a long time about. I needed a title for this series that could truly encompass what I was trying to share with these images. When the idea of “Passages” as a title came to me, it felt right.

A passage can mean a journey, traveling from one place to another. Or it can mean an excerpt of text, particularly when referencing scripture.

I loved the dual meaning behind this word. All of these experiences are part of the journey of life. Throughout our travels in life, our experiences teach us one “passage” of personalized scripture at a time. This in turn leads us on our own journey, or “passage”, towards faith.

And while this series was inspired by my own belief that our Savior and our Heavenly Father are the ones leading us on this journey, I hope that someone of any faith can find comfort, faith, and inspiration in these pieces. Whatever and however you believe, I hope this series shows that through all experiences, both the good and the bad, there is beauty and faith in all things, and that there is always room for growth and light, no matter how you believe.