When Sandy asked me to be the featured photographer for this issue, I was both excited and slightly apprehensive. But as soon as I received the first poem, I knew I would LOVE pairing each poem with either a picture in my personal photo library or one I designed specifically for the poem. I found the process to be a wonderful, challenging and very rewarding experience!
With most every poem, the first time I read it, I wondered how in the world I could do the poem justice. I learned to be patient with myself. I learned that if I read and re-read a poem multiple times, it would form a picture in my mind. And, never-failing, once I could “see” the poem in my mind, I could create the view from my perspective.
While I’m not sure my interpretations of the poems is spot on, that’s the beauty of poetry, and photography for that matter; it’s subjective. I know each beautifully written poem made me feel something real, and the pairings allowed me to translate those feelings in a visual way that spoke to me.
I hope you like the results as much as I liked being the featured photographer! I will miss this form of creativity but will fondly hold onto the lessons it taught me.
Michelle
Michelle Casady is a self-taught artist and photographer living in Brentwood, TN. She enjoys capturing subjects that portray and evoke simplistic yet extraordinary beauty and emotion in what may otherwise be viewed as ordinary, everyday life. She also has a deep appreciation for the literary arts – books, songs, and poetry.