Land of the Rising Sun: A Visual Journey
"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the life that is waiting for us."
– Joseph Campbell
In February, I spent ten days traveling through Japan—from the neon pulse of Tokyo to the quietude of Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, and Yokohama. This visual world invited me into its liminal spaces, those thresholds between modern efficiency and ageless temples. I found order resting in the crevices of imperfection. Even the food was curated with such care that its presentation left me in gentle reverence of the craft.
As many travelers discover, such experiences eventually re-orient the sense of self. Returning home, the transition was sharp: my divorce proceedings became contested, corporate mergers hung heavy in the air, and graduate work pressed on my mind. Yet, amidst the noise, a beautiful soul with a quiet, analog life reached out a hand. The life I had planned shifted drastically. If you look at it through a certain lens, adversity became a door to the "other side." What is that other side? I am still in the process of discovering it.
Consider this an invitation to look at visual culture and see how it can mold, and remold, who we are.
