Overcoming Hard Times (through photography)

I've been around a bunch of people in my life that had a really shit time. Some of them were diagnosed with depression, others where just very down after their parents divorce, a bad breakup or death around them.

Especially with the ones that were unhappy for a longer time and where you basically could sense how their life was disintegrating in front of their own eyes, I tried to encourage them to engage in something that lasts, like painting, photography, writing or similar. I just watched a video of the great Adorama - Through the Lens series where the photographer tells a similar story.

She started taking pictures in grief, after her second parent had died and to just separate her from the rest of the world, for a while.

I would forget, I would forget everything.

• Whitney Hayes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux6c64r_OaA

This is really, really amazing and also why I think long-lasting investments in arts or other activities is a much better distraction, not only because they probably require more engagement than video games or binge watching a series, but because you're somebody else, when you fall out on the other side.

Most of my friends have survived their more miserable years and I love to follow them online, doing great, painting kick ass things, writing great code, making apps or making another path.

This video just reminded me so much of encouragement, both given and received and I appreciate everybody I have met so far and would like to tell you:

When you feel really, really horrible, capture that feeling in some way.

Check out the photographer on the video on her website: whitney-hayes.com

Check out the Adorama YouTube channel too, they're cool.