photos + music + (the start of) an origin story

Well, hello there. This space has been quiet for a while, and I have some updates, going from simple to complex.

Over the last year, I've been working on my site having all my art. 

As I capture good recordings, I'm adding to the sound section. I've been playing at public events, but some of my favorite recordings have been at home. Have a listen; headphones recommended.

I also have a gigantic photography archive, so I'm s l o w l y adding photos from my decades behind a camera. More recently, I've been in front of the lens, and I've written some essay to accompany the images. This page has links for all of them.

Most exciting—and overwhelming and all-consuming and terrifying and exhilarating—is that I'm self-publishing a book later this year!

But that feels like getting ahead of myself, hence the start of the origin story.

Part 1, of I'm not sure how many:

In summer 2022, I got a bit more social. I attended some outdoor events. And when I got over my anxiety and nerves, I enjoyed seeing people I hadn't seen in over 2 years. Those reunions were so sweet, so poignant.

And because I know a lot of sweet people, most of them asked about my health and my experience with Long Covid.

I was really touched that they asked. I wanted to answer honestly.

So, I attempted to answer, honestly.

But, WOW, it was much more difficult than I imagined. And much more painful than I imagined.

Have you ever had an experience that was so terrible you didn't want to share? Not out of shame, but out of not wanting to bring your loved ones down.

Very quickly, I realized that I didn't want to talk about Long Covid at all. It was too intense, too overwhelming.

I knew, of course, that my experience was not The Worst Calamity That Could Ever Happen(tm). It was, however, the worst calamity that had ever happened to me. And I had no idea how to express it. I couldn't distill the experience into a brief explanation.

I could have concocted something, maybe a little pithy, that hinted at the complexities. But I still prefer honesty, even when honesty entails sharing difficult things.

So, I went to where I often go – the blank page.

People often rue the blank page, that the blank page is nemesis, antagonist, demon. My relationship is quite different. For me, the blank page is refuge. A non-judgemental, open space. Potential. The blank page has always welcomed me, with ease and spaciousness.

Right about a year ago this time, actually. Back then, I had no idea where this effort was going. I thought nowhere. But that's for part 2.

Until then,
Skyeris

---
skyeris.art
she / they
IG

---