What Photographing 1005 Faces Taught Me About Listening, Community, and Transformation
In 2013-2014 I photographed 1005 people in San Antonio each holding up a small sign with a personal message, and the project gained momentum across the city. I want to talk about how that project transformed me, what I learned about human connection, diversity, and community, and how these ideas can be brought into your own personal world. We all long to be heard and to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. I believe there are strategic ways to make this community and connection happen.
When individuals have a platform to present their ideas and express themselves in a straightforward and authentic way they are validated and valued. They become invested in the outcome. When we our willing to listen for the small things that connect us, we can find what we relate to. The idea I hope will be taken away from this talk is that if leaders want to harness the energy of a group, and break through stereotypes, they must be willing to get outside of themselves and listen for the similarities. In doing so we will create a community that can share in its collective joy and strive for its success.
About Sarah
San Antonio based artist Sarah Brooke Lyons has been a professional photographer since 2007. Sarah’s artistic mission is to reveal the beauty of diversity, individuality, and self-expression through the artistic medium. Fortunately, she has been able to hone her skill domestically and internationally. Internationally she has shared the voices of communities during her travels to Brazil, Burkina Faso, West Africa, and Haiti. By documenting daily life in villages and favales, she shares photojournalistic stories with global audiences to provide awareness and support for these communities.
Locally, Sarah has photographed notable members of the community to tell the stories that build San Antonio. She extends that mission through large scale projects such as 1005 Faces where she took portraits of 1005 San Antonio residents across the cultural and socioeconomic spectrum to empower and celebrate the expression of the individual while bringing the city together. Her work continues to expand as she incorporates varieties of mediums into her photographic fine art work. She explores the longing for expression, inclusion, understanding, and introspective peace we collectively seek.
- Website – www.SarahBrookeLyons.com
- Email – email@SarahBrookePhotography.com
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sarahbrookephotography
- Twitter – https://twitter.com/sblphoto
- Linked In – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-brooke-lyons-25754a14
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