What better way to get back here than with a self-portrait series?

After shooting my last personal project in October 2018, I felt as if creating something else that would tell a story and make an impact in a similar manner would be close to impossible. Therefore, I have been trying to shoot anything and everything that could help me settle back into what I love and enjoy; creative portraiture.

Creatively, I was stuck. Over the years, I have discovered that I can overcome a creative rut by shooting some self-portraits. This forms the basis for the photo series entitled “The Monologues”, and will be the first time one of my self-portrait series will take on a more meaningful angle. I will use it to focus on the conversations people have with themselves, in an effort to understand their inner beings and external situation.

My conceptualization of “The Monologues” is based on some of my lowest moments when I choose to get lost in my head as I get consumed by my thoughts and problems. This happens so naturally and fluidly that I do not notice the effect it has on the people around me. Although I may want to act as if everything is okay, I can feel my mood and emotions shift. I can also feel the people around me notice the shift. It may be difficult to understand, but sometimes the act of wallowing in my own thoughts of self-pity, self-doubt, and unconsciously (consciously) shutting out what is happening around me is quite comforting.

Because I do not want to share this with anyone, this is where “The Monologues” come into play. I use it as a means to talk to myself during these low moments, with conversations taking on broad topics from a personal perspective touching on spirituality, my growth as a photographer, building my clothing brand, and life in general, as well as emotional, mental, and physical wellness. Other times, it is just me talking down to myself trying to figure out what is dragging me down, and what I can do to keep my head above all the noise.

Even though “The Monologues” come in both positive and negative waves, my ultimate goal is to improve myself in all aspects, by achieving self-realization through constant self-reflection. From the beginning of February 2019, I decided it would be best to write down these conversations I have with myself as a means of tracking my progress and holding myself accountable. This will give me an insight into what is going on in my:

1. Head (mental and emotional state)
2. Heart (relationship with God, myself, and others)
3. Hands (physical state and financial well-being)

This shoot will focus on showing how easy and difficult it can be when you attempt to speak to yourself, in an effort to become a better person.

Featuring myself, for your interpretation.

Special thanks to my church, ACK St. Philips Church, Jericho, for the wonderful shooting space.

  

  

If you made it this far, then you get to see how I summed it up...

If you need any more information on this project, feel free to get in touch with me.
Happy viewing! 😊😊

Lately, I have noticed that more and more people are making efforts to highlight the importance of mental and emotional wellness. Many of us are facing a multitude of challenges, with no significant way to deal with them and address these issues. Therefore, we find ourselves shrinking back and hiding from these problems, as well as from everyone and anyone. This happens to me too.

I recently did a shoot with a close friend of mine, and I truly got to understand what many people are going through as society forces them to live behind a mask. What I have come to realize is that while most people seem to have everything figured out, this is not really the case. We have different faces that we present to different people at different times. On the surface, we display a false sense of control, but on the inside, we are crashing and struggling to cry out.

My thoughts on mental illness and emotional wellness have greatly been influenced by the Chinese concept of "Yin Yang". Based on my research, this concept represents the idea of how two seemingly opposite energies work together in the natural world, and how these forces give rise to the one another. For example, night and day. For the day to begin, the night must end and vice versa. This means that two opposite forces make a complete whole and each aspect contains the beginning point for the other. This also applies to happiness and sadness.

For the purposes of this series, we will focus on how happiness and sadness correlate. One without the other cannot exist. For you to enjoy happiness, you must come to appreciate the sad times in your life. Over the past few weeks, I have been strongly criticizing myself for not being happy most of the time. I get frustrated when a pending business deal stalls or fails, when I fail to book enough clients, when I disappoint someone, or someone disappoints me. Then when the feelings of self-doubt start to creep in, I lose it completely.

However, without these moments of extreme anguish, would I be able to enjoy the small blessings in life? Or when things start going my way? I think not. Without allowing myself to feel all these emotions, then I would not be able to appreciate their place in my emotional journey. It is important to understand that nobody has a solution for everything and that you cannot fix everything right now. Find a balance, and find yourself in all the emotional chaos.

Express yourself and your emotions to someone who is willing to listen. It might just make a difference both ways. That is what I have done here, and I will leave you to interpret the photo series for yourself...

Shot with the amazing Wendy Omanga.

This conceptualization of this project was inspired by Francisca Kalekye, who was in-charge of the hair and makeup. Her work is straight fire!! 🔥

Special thanks to Bev for the awesome shooting space and hospitality. 💪💪👐

Until next time, you got this!!

P.S. Looking to do a "Pink October" series for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Interested? Hit me up...

Well...this is the start of something new; an exciting journey with an upcoming fashion entity. For me, long term collaborations are what I live and shoot for. This is an idea founded on the basic principle that in most cases, people will invest in high quality and stylish outfits.

Deep End Clothing is a fashion brand based in Nairobi, Kenya, specializing in the creation and supply of customized denim-wear. What the brand addresses and represents is the need to fill the gap in providing quality denim-wear for individuals who are free-spirited and are not afraid to dive into the deep end (of life, challenging situations, and even pools. Haha!) Customized clothing allows you to embody your personality in the clothes you wear and look elegant in doing so. Therefore, this concept acts as the introductory shoot for the clothing line, showcasing the first of its designs for ladies.
"Fancy Some Denim?" is a call to all lovers of denim-wear to recognize the presence of a brand that will meet all your clothing needs and more...

Shot with Anne Sholei at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi.

Deep End Clothing. (Logo by Priscilla Odongo)

Photo mounts and prints now available.