Early 2022 was a turbulent time for me. I was grappling with an anxiety disorder and insomnia. I briefly moved back home to Minnesota while I sorted myself out. I spent a lot of time driving around with no clear direction, trying to find something to distract myself with. But in Minnesota, what you see is what you get. There is nothing but cold, lifeless landscapes.
Growing up, the oppressive atmosphere of Minnesotan winters always seemed uncomfortably self-evident to me. However, whenever I talked about it, I often got the impression that I was largely alone in those feelings. And now, here I was, unexpectedly back in Minnesota, this time with fresh eyes. I had no interest in photography before this, but suddenly it was clear that I could give those feelings form.
I walked into Best Buy, asked the guy what camera he recommended, and walked out with a Panasonic Lumix G7—totally unconcerned with whatever amount of money I had just spent. This project is the result of that decision, a living monument to that strange period of my life.
