Life Of Others
About This Project
There are 8 characters that reside within me: the Universal Geographer, the Eastern Yogi, the Tribal Storyteller, The Western Intellectual, The Naive Kid, the Criticizing Judge, the Analytical Academic, and the Creative Artist.
It was only until I fed them all, that this project could have been created. Here is the bit-by-bit evolution of this project with all 8 characters. Some of them are bold, while others are shy, can you find them? . Enjoy.
Avalanche:
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​“A mass of material moving rapidly down a slope…
Once the conditions for an avalanche exist, a trigger simply applies sufficient force to release it”.
The 101st Skier - The Starting Point
Why do certain people show up in our life?
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It was around midnight when I sent her some photos that I took in a picnic earlier that day. In the morning I opened my inbox and read her response: “We are so cute together. And your skill…Thank you”.
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Another polite response you’d say, right?! But for me she was the 101st skier. A hundred skiers would use the same mountain run, and the 101st would cause an avalanche. Unintentionally her response triggered an avalanche in me, this project.
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It wasn’t until 2015 that I started taking photos professionally. Ever since, I received dozens of compliments about the creativity of my shots, but I always waved them aside politely while blushing inside. At some point I designed an amateur photography website to silence the pocket of resistance which began bubbling inside of me, but I never really liked nor was proud of it.
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Her name is Galia, and it was her random reaction which made me hold the hand of the photographer in me and finally walk with him the extra mile.
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Thank you Galia. From now on, I will nickname you: The 101st Skier.
The Trial - Selection Stage
I began collecting all the photos from 2014. I picked hundreds from the computer’s hard drive, portable drives and icloud. At this stage I served as the biggest critic of myself. The selected "jury members" helped me narrow down the photos based on the excellence criteria. In this process, the "jury’s" final call was repeatedly challenged by a few emotional driven "jury members" who nearly biased the final selected images.
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While burrowing in my past, my emotions awakened, my imagination began to spark and ideas were born. Even a technical stage in the form of adding signatures to the photos hosted a hidden gift, as it improved my self-regard. Unintentionally the storyteller in me received a wake up call.
The Storyteller - Adding The Stories Stage
As I began pasting the photos on the website template, I had felt that they were lonely. I began writing short descriptions below selected photos, National Geographic style. After all, I always wanted to be a National Geographic Journalist…
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The appetizer fulfilled its purpose and stimulated a full course dinner. I began writing stories, and by the time I finished the fourth, the page Stories Behind Photos was created. Now, I was able to see the entire picture. The geographer in me connected the longitudes (photos) and the latitudes (stories) to the final formation of the website.
“Those who flow as life flows, know they need no other force.”
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Lao Tzu
The Mindful Creator - Adding The Videos Stage
While editing the Urban Delights page I felt an urge to add the video of the street performer playing on the harp. The image of the street Lego triggered this idea; in reality I took this photo a block away from the harp musician’s spot. Following this move, I decided to add videos to the remaining pages. Mindfulness and creativity are natural dance partners.
The Intellectual - The Birth of The Quotes
When I added the paratrooper video to the Landscapes & Nature page, I felt it was naked without the quote. It was only a matter of seconds that I’d decide to introduce the remaining pages with appropriate quotes. Each one of them represents a piece of my perception, and the intellectual in me was able to relax. Intuition guides creative moves.
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Artist Statement - Naming & Coloring The Pages
When I began assembling the photos from Lapland, all I could see was white. Thus I decided to name the Lapland page: White. The White page labored the Brown page. These moves encouraged me to stay loyal to my feelings, knowing that the next move will create asymmetry in the visual language. Once again, the "bad boy" approach visits...:) I changed the background of the Kids Life page to green, and the Urban Delight one to gray. My intention was to correspond with the page topic and environment.
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In my work I hope to incite viewers’ point of view, and trigger them to see more opportunities around them, whilst tapping into their own originality. This requires me to walk my talk...
Multiple Personality Disorder - Who Am I? Or The Power of Mindful Observation
Somewhere in the middle of the project I faced a remarkably interesting challenge. Initially, I titled the website in its current form with my name. At some point I decided to add my business logo, which represents...me after all.
However, this move didn’t go off without a hitch.
In the weeks to follow, every time I entered the editor, I felt that the body rejects the transplanted organ, and that the logo hosted unwanted energy. After all it represents an outer ring of myself, the working character, while this project wanted to remain organic and authentic like it began.
I decided to drop it for a while, and let the spirit of creativity mitigate the conflict. At some point, I recalled a life-shaping conversation I had once with an Indian guy during a night bus ride somewhere in India.
Somewhere, at some point, two random ticket agents gave birth to this surreal night ride. On the third stop that night, someone pushed aside the curtain and climbed to my bunk bed. The protective western in me reacted with clear resentment to the intruder. However, shortly after, the pleasant energy of the unexpected guy triggered the curious-mindful-eastern in me. We spoke for hours, sharing knowledge and wisdom.
At some point, after another assertive argument came out from my western mouth, he looked at me and said, with his strong Indian-English sweet accent: my friend, the secret in life is to find the midway, through compromising.
So I did, moments ago I decided to add my business logo to the About page, where I felt it belongs.
So why do certain people show up in our life?
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Acknowledgments:
To Jordana, my amazing partner who pushed me and proofread all the texts; to beautiful Roni who encouraged me to stay loyal to myself; to Liat, my dear sister who was the first to recognized my photography skill; to Maia, my mother in law who always compliments my photos and made me believe in my skill; Lastly, to Roni Geva, my great photography teacher.
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