Mindfulness through photography is a powerful tool for each and everyone of us to have in our toolbox. Whether you are dealing with stress, anxiety or depression, these simple easy to perform exercises can talk you off that emotional ledge. There are countless places where you can learn quick exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere. Keep reading here to learn how I used mindfulness and photography to heal myself.
Art heals. I know, because it healed me.
For six years, I was broken in just about every way imaginable—physically, mentally, emotionally. My legs didn’t work right. We called them “drunk legs” because they wobbled and betrayed me. I had neurological episodes where my body would just… switch off. More than once I found myself flat on the ground. Out in the back yard, on the floor of a hardware store aisle, a stranger leaning over me asking, “Hey buddy, are you ok?”
Pain became my constant companion, and I had to learn to deal with it alone. My feet would get stuck curled up like tiny fists, causing cramping that would bring me to tears. For hours, and for days. Countless trips to emergency rooms, doctors and specialists were all the same – there is nothing wrong with you, and we are not going to give you pain medication for no reason.
Eventually, a doctor took the time to listen. A cause was found. Surgery was performed. Slowly, healing began.Recovery is expected to take 2-3 years, so I still have a ways to go.
And while surgery fixed my spinal cord injury, it did not address the mental or emotional damage that was done over those 6 plus years. I met some amazing people that helped me on that journey, and I found that my true strength was inside me. And my art was the key to healing my mind and my soul.
Healing Through Photography and Art
For nearly a year after surgery, I spent my days flat on my back—reading books on my Kindle, looking at photos on my iPad. More than looking—I was wandering inside them. Revisiting the places I had photographed. Exploring the feelings those moments brought me.
When I was able to sit up, I returned to my desk. I restored my old Epson printer, bought a chair that didn’t punish my back, and began printing again. Not giant gallery pieces this time, but small prints. Hundreds of them. Four-by-sixes I could hold in my hand. Thirteen-by-nineteens I could lay across my desk.
Each one became a practice of mindfulness—slowing down, noticing, holding beauty close. Slowly, I was healing through my photography and art.
Printing as Meditation
Before, my home prints were only proofs—tests before sending the “real” images off to be made large for hospitals, banks, and nursing homes. Now, they were no longer tests. They were therapy. A 13×19 print was just the right size to cradle. To study. To breathe with.
Printing became meditation. Photography became presence. Art became healing.
Mindfulness Through Photography
That season of recovery taught me something I carry into every part of life: art is not just decoration, it is medicine. Standing on a beach, exploring the world in front of me through the lens of my camera, my photography was an exercise in mindfulness. Naming what I see, feel, hear, and even taste. Taking those elements of nature, and working them into a photograph. It grounds us. It gives us a place to rest.
And that’s where my mindfulness work begins. Out of pain, out of struggle, out of healing—grew a practice I now share. My photographs, paired with words and videos, as moments of stillness and reflection.
Art as mindfulness practice
A photo should be printed, it should be held. In today’s flash-bang digital world, images fly by our news feeds, viewed on tiny screens for only a second. I was guilty of that too.
But as I lay in bed, or sat at my printer, I studied them. I enjoyed them. I remembered the adventure and the story of creating the image. I explored them, all of them. And I remembered, not just those adventures, but all of my adventures. And I smiled. And I hoped. That one day I could be that guy again, or even a better version of him. And that hope? One of the most powerful feelings in the world.
Sharing 30 Seconds of Peace
Over time, I began to take some of my favorite images and combine them with the words that helped me get out of bed and try again. That’s what I’m sharing with you—brief moments of calm, reflection, and inspiration. Just 30 seconds to pause, breathe, and find a little hope for yourself in the midst of the day.
Curious? Want to try it for yourself? I’ve paired some of my favorite photos with the words and sayings that carried me through my journey. Take just 30 seconds to watch one of these mindfulness videos. If it resonates, explore my galleries below, pick the print that speaks to you, and begin your own journey of mindfulness through photography.
Fine Art Prints for Mindfulness
As I sit in my office, I have prints all around me. I have many small 4×6″ prints all over my desk. Mounted in shadow boxes, they are the perfect size. As I work, a quick glance at a few of my favorites remind me of who I am. They allow me to take a mental break, and go on a little journey without leaving my chair. And often that is all I need, a quick reminder that helps to ground me. I use a small fine art print to activate my mindfulness exercises. And that print, that mindfulness exercise is enough to get me by.
Choose your mindfulness moment from one of my print galleries
Wander Through Quiet Horizons
Dive Into the Seascape Pool
Bite Into the Beauty
Icons & Oddities
Wander Around in the Dark
Your Journey Awaits
I’ve wandered the shorelines, captured the light, and yes—I drink way too much coffee. Let me help you create your story.