Inward & Outward

Inward and Outward is a photographic exploration of how childhood trauma reappears in adulthood, and how healing begins when we finally choose to face both the inner and outer worlds shaped by our past. Set in the woods—a place tied to my earliest memories—this collection uses nature as both a metaphor and a mirror. The woods become a return to my roots, a space where I confront fragments of old wounds while finding moments of clarity in the quiet around me. The mirror is the central symbol throughout this project. At first, it reflects a version of myself weighed down by memory and the distortions trauma creates. The cracks and breaks that follow aren’t just visual choices—they’re moments of impact, instances where the pain resurfaces, is acknowledged, and is finally allowed to fracture instead of staying buried. As the mirror splinters, the environment begins to enter the reflection more freely, representing a slow opening of the self to growth, truth, and acceptance. Through these images, I reclaim the narrative of my past. The breaking of the mirror becomes an act of release rather than loss—a refusal to let trauma define who I am, and a commitment to rebuilding with intention and clarity. The woods, once a witness to silence, now become a collaborator in my healing. Inward and Outward is my expression of the resilience that follows.