Unusual Clarity

Sometimes our own stories are the ones we never get the chance to tell. However, if a story is never told it becomes something else, forgotten. 22" x 14" x 9" were the dimensions of my life; it couldn’t get any bigger and dare not to get any smaller. Packed as light as possible so that nothing weighed me down but the memories I would cherish in the years to come. I was on a mission to gain insight on what it means to move forward, be brave, take risks and be curious about life. I refused no more to pretend I have not been told because we have all heard the proverbs, the philosophers and our grandparents warning us about wasted time.

One Tuesday afternoon it was raining just like any other Spring day in Florence, only this time I had to find my way to a place I have never been before. A place that only few knew about and few were invited to, Via Giovanni Berchet 5. Several minutes late, I entered a world that was built around tradition and hope. Its walls adorned with the Mother Marry and Jesus Himself before He rose again on the third day. This four-story structure was home to a dozen plus women who vowed to a life of poverty, obedience and true love.

I was there to capture their hidden life. From the outside, these women are no more than walking black habits, however once within, personalities shined. At first, with no common ground the only way to connect was through the lens of my camera directing them where to stand and how to be.

What started out to be an invitation for a walk in the park and Easter Sunday lunch grew to be 5am wake-up calls because of her miscalculation of the transatlantic time change once I returned home. However, it was not until I embraced storytelling as another friendship did I realize who I am. I belt out the songs of others and make sure they are sung with passion, with love, with youth, with truth and above all, with a resonant voice.