I always want to be there for the people I care about, but I can’t help but feel like my hands are tied and I can’t fix anything and I’m drowning in my own misery. It’s almost as if everything is chosen for me, like fate or destiny, and it drags me down and I…
I had to put the challenge on hold to travel with my sister. She had to do a week of training in a hospital in Dresden, Germany (she’s a med student) and I went with her to keep her company. Although I spent most of my time in our hotel room, I did manage to…
My computer died. I have everything backed up but for about 4 days I did not know what to do with my life. I couldn’t edit, update my blog, or do any work. It’s crazy that our whole lives depend on those machines. I’ll spare you the details of the painful recovery process (recovering my…
I love ballet. I love all things soft, delicate, and feminine. I recently watched a video by Sue Bryce about shooting dance style portraits, and wanted to try it myself. I wanted to see if I can pose girls who aren’t dancers in a way that would make them look like they are. Because really, what…
Back in December, Hasselblad sent me a camera to try. I had the H5D-50C, and two lenses: HC 50II MM and HC 80MM. It was absolutely amazing to use. The sound of the shutter alone is just.. ahhh. Okay I won’t gush too much. I planned out a series of images specifically to create with that…
If tomorrow never comes, would I feel like I’ve lived my life the best way I can? Did I do enough? Did I tell people how much I love them, did I change someone’s life to the better, did I influence anyone. Did I make a difference? Today is one of those days where I…
We don’t have to be in a negative state of mind to be able to create. Over the past few weeks, I struggled so much with that. I didn’t want to create something that doesn’t feel genuine or isn’t a part of me, but at the same time I was dying to create. I used…
Read more You don’t have to live the life of a tortured artist
A few days ago, my therapist told me that I am no longer considered clinically depressed. I am a former depressive. I’m in remission. The medication and therapy is now only to prevent relapse. I’ve been in therapy for exactly 11 months, on medication for 10. It’s been a long and exhausting journey, but a…
In our society, if you’re in your mid-twenties or older, and you’re not married yet, then you’re damaged goods. My model wishes to remain anonymous, but she gave me permission to share her story: She is almost 30 years old. She went through two engagements. She got divorced before she even started her marriage. To…
For Sara Kintsugi – (noun) To repair with gold; The art of repairing metal with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. We are all imperfect. We are all flawed. We are, or were, broken in one way or another. Being human, we strive to live up…
Amani AlShaali 