The Power of Presence: Life, Work, Art

“Wherever you are, be there totally.”

-Eckhart Tolle

A phrase or word that people use often: stay present, be present, remain present. An essential part of life and experience, but not always understood or implemented. We can often find ourselves lost in our own minds, chasing after goals that leave us looking forward without remembering to appreciate where we are, regretting decisions already made that keep us stuck in the past. Being present is not as simple as it sounds. It requires patience, focus, and acceptance of one’s own challenges with the task. Not only does the shifting of one’s focus have a positive effect on their overall mental state and experiences in life, but it can also lead to increased levels of creativity and natural moments captured within photography and art. Representing where one is in that moment, capturing the raw realities of life, and not worrying about the end product.

Slowing Down and Embracing Stillness

So often we are caught chasing dreams, working towards a goal, thinking nonstop about where we want to end up. While important in creating motivation and consistency to achieve one’s wants and desires, it can also take us away from the everyday happenings that build the foundation of a beautiful life.

When we lose ourselves in the future, in where we want to go or be, we forget to stop and look at where we are. Take in the sights around you, the people who are quietly supporting you, the others who are cheering you on with gusto and everything in their heart and soul. Understand the distance you have already travelled to get to the exact place you are.

The cog machine that is life and achievement can be thankless. It can be cruel and lonely. We work so hard and for so long, only to be met with silence at the top of the mountain because somewhere along the way those people who supported us felt forgotten, because that beautiful home we had was not cared for, because the focus was in the distance. Pause, slow down, reflect and absorb. Do not allow yourself to burn out or lose the one’s in life that are there for you. Prioritization and compromise are essential to achieving goals and balancing life.

Relationship to Travel & Exploring The World

Flying around the globe, transferring on buses from one city to another, waving down a tuktuk, sleeping in steaming vans, walking in an unknown area, all these experiences can be viewed in a positive or negative light. That time you had to sleep in an overnight bus without air conditioning, fighting motion sickness, unable to find a comfortable position—what is your perspective? Are you grateful to have found your way in a new country, proud to have been able to navigate the transportation system in a place where the language is foreign to you? Or are you focused on the ‘suffering’, the ‘hardships’, the fear? Perspective changes everything.

When speaking about travel, it is unthinkable to ignore the sheer privilege that accompanies the ability to do so in the first place. Having the means to explore other countries and cultures is something that not everyone has access to, whether that be due to socioeconomic, political, or institutional factors. Vacations and traveling can have a variety of experiences and expectations. Some may be luxurious, others may be strictly budgeted. One may prefer to use the time as a ‘get away’, while others treat the experience as something sacred, an opportunity to connect with people around the world and learn about their culture and life. This is not to say that one is right and the other is wrong, but rather to point out that the purpose of travel should not dictate one’s ability to find the positive.

Things do not go according to plan, items are lost or misplaced, trains are missed, flights are cancelled. Such is life. We cannot control everything, but we can control ourselves and our reactions.

Control the controllable.

When you feel yourself spiraling, worrying, feeling stressed because of what has happened or what could happen, remember to take a breath and look at your surroundings. Again, take in the views. Where are you right now? Find the beauty in the ordinary. Look for the positive, the silver lining. Laugh. Laugh at the ridiculousness, laugh at the circumstance, laugh at your own outlandish reaction to the situation. You can only control what is in your control. Release the rest of it and find solidity in the present moment.

The Power of Presence in Photography

With today’s technology, we have the ability to take 100 photos in seconds. The power of such advancements takes away from the novelty of photography. How intentional are you with the images you are capturing? Do you snap ten shots of the same subject, simply because you can? Are you taking the extra minute to change the angle, alter the settings, or move your body before hitting the shutter so those extra shots are not needed? Before digital cameras and phones were available, film photography gave the individual a limited number of opportunities to capture a moment. This forced the photographer to look and think with intention. To pause. To slow down.

Nowadays, we can click away without a care in the world of how many of the images are out of focus, how many lack structure or content, how many repeats we have sitting in our camera roll. We have lost the patience of sitting still, looking with our eyes, and feeling with our soul what story we want to tell with an image.

This is your reminder to take that extra breath and ponder. Challenge yourself by limiting the number of images you can capture in a day. See how it impacts your decision making and your experiences. Are you walking around and seeing your surroundings in a different light? Not everything needs to be caught and not everything is meant to be either. There is power in experiencing life with your own two eyes rather than behind the lens of a camera or the screen of a phone.

Overthinking and Anxiety’s Desire To Pull You Underwater

Many people in the world today have experienced the feeling of anxiety or overthinking. That sense of impending doom or stress over something that has already taken place. The inability to slow one’s breath and return to one’s own body. Such occurrences are overwhelming and leave one feeling drained, empty, fearful, and worried.

That feeling of an elephant sitting on one’s chest, making it hard to breathe, of thoughts endlessly spiraling and dragging one down under a blanket of doom. The goal of such dark feelings is to pull one under. Under the surface to a place of distress, hopelessness, and tension.

A trick that I have used and have shared with others in the past, is to use your five senses to return to your body and present self. Place an ice cube in your hand and feel the sensation of sharp coolness in your palm. Eat a sour piece of candy and notice the tart tang that makes your mouth squeeze in contrast. Smell something minty or lavender to refresh and awaken yourself. Look at your surroundings and say out loud what you see.

You are not alone. Recenter however you are able, become intentional with your breathing, and fight the demons.

Presence in My Own Line of Work & The Challenges of Compartmentalization

For those of you who do not know me beyond who I am as a photographer, then it is news to you that my primary job is as a neonatal ICU nurse. I say this not for praise, but to share my perspective after seeing life and death in ways many people do not.

Working in healthcare already has its challenges without throwing human emotions and responses into the mix. You are constantly triaging, making decisions in the moment related to the care you are providing to patients, advocating, teaching, learning, and growing. On top of that, you are using your voice and actions to navigate the delicate web of emotions that patients and their families are feeling at any point in time. You are always ‘reading the room’, trying to discern what is needed in that moment, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally. This constant level of input and stimulation can be overwhelming, and often times leads to nurses and other healthcare workers experiencing the feeling of burn out.

Not only does one experience overstimulation in the work day, but it is not uncommon for us to witness atrocities or obtain memories that stay with us forever. Traumatic moments that are seared into our brains and into our hearts. Some are better able to compartmentalize their work life from life outside of the hospital, others are not.

With all the sensory input buzzing around, it an be challenging to both remain present in the moment and manage compartmentalization to stay sane. Within nursing, and healthcare, one cannot afford to be anything but present. It is a constant battle within one’s own mind after the badge is swiped to clock out.

The Reason

I say all of this as a reminder to all that we are never fully aware of what people around us are working through. Those hidden demons, the silent worry, the loss of self—they lie beneath the surface. Be patient with yourself and with the world that surrounds you. Not everything is worth an emotional tsunami.

-Alicia Rose

“Peace in Silence”, Japan, 2024. By Alicia Rose. A tranquil scene captured in Kitanomaru Garden in Chiyoda on a stroll during a slow Tuesday morning.