Q is for Quiescent Mind, and a little about my photos.

Q is for Quiescent Mind. Plus, a little bit about the theme my series has taken on.

Following Oona’s lead, here’s my picture for letter Q. Q is for Quiescent Mind:

quiescent - Copy

My photo series has taken on a bit of a theme. This wasn’t my intention when I started out, but it is certainly my intention, now.

In real life, we all fill certain cultural roles – office worker, scientist, student, artist, etc. These roles are often necessary for a functioning society, but they come with expectations that you’ll behave a certain way. They are confining, often in unnecessary ways.

These cultural roles and the pigeon holes they force people into have been a major theme in contemporary art. If you look at Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills series, you’re likely to recognize yourself or people you know. Her series is a bit dated, now, but you’re still likely to recognize many of the roles she portrays in her series.

That’s the insidious nature of cultural roles: You slip into the pigeon holes defined by your society all too willingly and without realizing you’re doing it. In real life, you are who you are, and people don’t like to see you step outside of your expected role, even for one day. That’s very limiting.

Second Life and other online communities let you set aside your cultural role and be who you want to be. My photo series explores that freedom, the freedom to take on any role you want in our virtual community.

The girl in P is for Pink is me, but certainly not entirely me. That was me, yesterday. Another day, I was Lara Croft (That was awesome.). Another a ninja in a scifi future. Another time, a circus acrobat. I’m all of those things in Second Life. And that’s awesome sweet and amazing.

Today, I’m just going to meditate on that thought.