In my first year of university, I had the opportunity to meet people from different areas and that’s where I met Ashleigh Dussie a graphic designer and graduate of Huddersfield University. When covid-19 started in the spring of 2020, many people were isolated, alone, and unable to connect with people, including myself.
As it was a difficult time for most people, it also affected me mentally and physically for some time. I was trying to complete my projects, I tried my best to take care of myself and find ways to express all the emotions I was experiencing and I did that by using my camera to take images of myself being in that state. However, the warmth of the sun, and the daily walks I took are what kept me on my toes and pushing me moving forward. Suddenly I felt a shift in my life , I started understanding more about myself and a river of gratitude started flowing in my heart, finally I could see beyond the barriers of the pain.
Then, one day after sharing my images on instagram... Ashleigh Dussie happened to see them and she reached out to me to do a small collaboration and create a photobook/zine with the images I created. She wanted also to talk about the work and my thoughts about it as she wanted to put some writing in them along with the photographs. She was really kind and thoughtful, and also talented in what she does which made me trust her with how she was going to put the book together digitally. Overall, it was a nice experience to collaborate with a graphic designer even if it was from online, I think both of us learned few things from each other.
