Every once in a while I’m reminded just how lucky we are to live in a valley where creativity isn’t something that only happens behind gallery doors. It’s being taught, explored, messed up, started over and discovered every day. And one of the greatest gifts we have is Anderson Ranch Arts Center.
I’ve been fortunate enough to receive scholarships to take two documentary classes at the Ranch, and I don’t take that lightly. Having the opportunity to go back into a classroom and revisit my true passions of documenting and story telling through photography and video, and to be taught by some of the best art teachers in the world, has reignited something in me that I didn’t realize how much I had missed.
For my second documentary class, we were given an assignment: choose a faculty member and follow one of their students who we felt had an interesting story to tell. What neither my nephew Devon nor I knew when we signed up was that we would not only be at Anderson Ranch at the same time, but taking classes in the very same building. Devon was studying with Yana Payusova, an incredibly talented ceramicist and artist, and so I chose Devon.
Devon has always had an inquisitive mind and a natural talent for whatever he sets his mind to. I especially admire his decision, while still young, to walk away from the corporate world and listen to the inner voice telling him to focus on his art. It was a brave decision, but in many ways, one he could no longer ignore. The cost of pushing aside his creative instincts was beginning to take a toll on him, both physically and mentally. He needed to create.
I’ve spent years documenting my own three boys and proudly sharing their creativity through my platforms, so being given the chance to turn my lens toward my nephew felt like a little gift from the universe. What I discovered while following him went far beyond his artistic talent. I got to witness his intelligence at work, watching him absorb complex concepts, and then translate those ideas through his hands and into his art.
What followed was a crash course in editing on Adobe Premiere and honing in on the organization and structure of my workThere is something incredibly satisfying about disappearing behind a camera and really observing someone. Not directing the story, but looking for it. Finding the gestures, expressions, mistakes, concentration and little moments in between that reveal who someone is and what they're experiencing. And it reminded me why I started doing all of this in the first place.
Before social media became about algorithms, reach, engagement and how many seconds someone will watch something, I loved documenting people. I loved finding interesting characters and sharing their stories.
I still do. What feels different now is that I have platforms with an audience on which to share them. Aspen Real Life has evolved enormously over the years, but at its core, this is still what I want it to be about: the people, places and experiences that give soul not just to this valley but to our world.
I'm so grateful to be creating again. I'm grateful to Anderson Ranch for making these kinds of experiences accessible through its scholarship program. I'm grateful for teachers who push us to see things differently. And I'm grateful that an assignment unexpectedly gave me the chance to turn my lens toward someone I already love.
Most of all, I'm thankful that after all these years, I still get excited when I find a story I want to tell. And that I have a place to tell it.
