Fortress of Emotions

I think I am drawn to castles and ancient ruins because they remind me of the walls and strongholds I so often have built around myself. How the ruins represent what is left of my heart each time I am hurt. Sometimes it is just safer to build the walls higher, stronger, deeper… But instead, the freedom and release through expression is where the magic happens. That is why I am so grateful for the process of creation and why I share so much of own emotions through my images. It is healing. It was these thoughts that inspired this image.

One of the many reasons I love to travel, especially as a solo traveller, is to take a break from my emotions. Not to run away from them, but just to take a break from them. To have the space and time to ponder them without being so close to home where they seem to hold so much more weight. To return, hopefully stronger in mind and heart.

This image was created on my recent Europe 2014 trip. The location is the ruined medieval Donnington Castle near Newbury in the UK.

Instead of just showing my usual before and after images, I created a small video of all the stages while editing this image. This is the first video I have ever attempted making (video not really being my thing ;)) and I had so much fun learning and figuring out how to put it together. What fun new things have you been experimenting with recently?

I hope you will enjoy the video! Let me know if there are any other images you would like me to break down like this ;)