This week’s theme came from a combination of two things. Wanting a lighter word after a heavy/darker theme with Fright (as well as all the halloween images posted over the week) and an all day editing session with Spotify playing.  Usually when I’m editing and listening to music I like to play either something that is matching the theme of the image or something I can softly sing along to. On this day it was the latter and the song switched to one I’d heard but not one I knew well.  And the lyrics really stood out.

“Why don’t you just meet me in the middle?
I’m losing my mind just a little
So why don’t you just meet me in the middle?
In the middle”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj6Y6JCu-l4&w=560&h=315]

I started thinking about being the middle. And what that meant. About where I was at that time physically and emotionally the idea of the middle really made sense. I’d been in New York City, in the middle of a place that often doesn’t make me feel very relaxed. It’s a bit chaotic and overwhelming and often makes me feel like I can’t see the sky enough. I was in the middle of a lot of thoughts, a lot of conflicted emotions and it was pulling me into two different moods.

I liked the idea of using Middle as the theme because it’s so open. The Middle. You could be in the middle of nowhere and it can be desolate and empty or you can be in the middle of it all, and be surrounded and overwhelmed. You can be in the middle of  something, it can be a transition or a step towards something. It can be a grey area. It can be anything.

 

For my image I wanted to bundle up all the things that inspired my theme choice and put it into one space. I chose an image of New York because that’s where I was and it was where I felt stuck in the middle of. I wanted the pose of my image to be looking not sad, not upset, just contemplative as that’s where I was. I wanted that negative space in the middle to be open, symbolizing an open mind and clear path. And me, I’m the balloon. Rising up and away from the city and the noise and buildings, just on my own path uninterrupted and free. Just like what hot air balloons symbolize for me.  (and going with my running theme of this year, yes I do have a balloon tattoo!)