what it's like to feel

"what it’s like to feel" is a deeply personal project that explores the intricacies of mental health, particularly in relation to depression and anxiety. As someone who constantly battles with their well-being, I have come to realize that the experience of mental illness is an unknown territory, with no concrete solution for fixing its debilitating effects. Words alone cannot capture the overwhelming thoughts and persistent ruminations that consume my mind. This is why I have turned to photography, using various techniques and genres to express the broad range of emotions that come with these conditions. Through portraits of loved ones, still-life, collage, dreamscapes, and digital manipulation, I have created raw, cryptic, and sometimes humorous environments that highlight the truth behind what it takes to navigate and overcome depression, anxiety, and other forms of mental illness. As a queer, Black man, the challenges of existing in a world that others and stigmatizes individuals like me only adds to the difficulty of this journey. Despite this, I continue to find reasons to live and push forward, reminding myself that there are relationships in my life that matter and that I am not alone, even when the weight of these conditions feels overwhelming. This quasi-journalistic body of work is my attempt to communicate and offer understanding to my fellow brothers, sisters, and enbies in this community who may also be grappling with their own mental health struggles.