Return To Invisible, background notes, part I

1. I joined Instagram under my own name in 2016, this was not a small decision for me - someone who has a perpetual desire to hide and obscure my true self

2. Whilst it made me uncomfortable, it seemed a necessary step in my other not so small decision of that time - to develop a considered photographic art practice after studying photography for the preceding two years

3. In the beginning it was beneficial, a low stakes way to maintain a consistent practice and push through the psychological barrier of 'being seen' knowing that I was mostly still invisible - my schedule was to post once a week, on a Thursday, finding joy in matching photographs to words I had written

4. It became an outlet for parts of myself I had kept hidden for a long time

5. At some point, after a year or so, the balance of invisibility in that space shifted for me - I found myself second-guessing my intention of sharing these things into the world - what was I looking for really - what was the true impact of participating

6. It is not lost on me that this shift coincided with a period of what can only be described as intense loneliness - I was frantically trying to fill a hole inside myself, failing