Photo Essay

By: Mira Kokomoor

My photo essay centers around the evolution of myself and how I find meaning in the world. I
chose to make my photographs black and white with a splash of color because there are some
aspects of the world that I see in black and white, while others are bright and technicolor. I
also chose this theme because sometimes I see the world as a dark and bleak place, but I try
to push myself to notice the good in the world as well. These photos will tell you whats
important to me, as well as what has helped to shape my life and how I see the world. Enjoy.

This is my big sister, Alicia. We live together in an apartment and shes my best friend. I was extremely shy growing up, so I was glued to
Alicias side. Some kids have a special blanket that they carry around with them because it makes them feel safe; my sister has always been
my blanket. She constantly reminds me that no matter how much we fight, family is forever and she will always be there for me. In some
ways, were polar opposites, but we make it work. For example, Alicia is very religious, while Im somewhat of an agnostic. But, I respect
her beliefs because I see how happy her religion makes her. Alicia has taught me that if I find what I love and what makes me happy, I have
to embrace it and surround myself with it. Shes ultimately taught me about what I do and do not want to be in this life.

One of the most important things in my life is music. Playing the violin gave me the first taste of what it was like to be on stage and to
experience the feeling of finding something that Im good at. Apart from that, music has helped me through my hardest times. When nothing
in my life seems to be going right, I can shut out the world by immersing myself in the artists that I love. Music has also opened my eyes to
issues that I am now extremely passionate about. Music is one of the things in my life that is anything but black and white. I dont limit
myself to one genre and I dont think that there is any genre that is ultimately better or more important than another. We are all connected
to different kinds of music in vastly different ways, and this realization has helped me to gain appreciation for our individuality.

During my first years of high school, I developed an eating disorder. Its such a strange thing to have your mind tell you that you dont deserve the most
basic nourishment in order to survive. I think that everyone can relate to the feeling of being lost and trapped in your own mind and body. This feeling is
temporary for most people, but during this time in my life, it was constant and relentless. My worldview was largely limited to myself and my own
struggles, even though I was simultaneously neglecting myself. Now, I try to strike a healthy balance between spending time alone with my thoughts
and escaping my mind because self-care is very important. This personal struggle has shaped my worldview into one in which I put a great deal of value
on our mind and soul, rather than our external features. This has also helped me realize my passion for helping others and raising awareness about the
importance of mental health.

As I regained my happiness, I began to do things that I used to love, like reading. I became particularly interested in books about mental illness, specifically memoirs. I
spent a great deal of my time reading and I learned a lot about different mental illnesses. As I gained a greater understanding of mental illness, I realized that I wanted to
make a career out of helping those who are suffering. I am now majoring in social work and I plan to get my master's degree, so I can participate in mental health counseling.
It was through reading that I discovered my passion and purpose in life. I also began to understand that mental illness is not black and white. It is different for everyone,
even if they have the same diagnosis. I no longer invalidate others for their struggles simply because they dont look like theyre suffering. My dedication to mental health
and reading is also representative of my belief that the journey is more important than the end. While reading about these mental illnesses, I immersed myself in the stories
and the journeys that the characters went through, so I hated reaching the end of a book. For many mental illnesses, full recovery doesnt exist, so you have to focus on the
journey of recovery, even if you never reach the ultimate destination.

This is a photo of my high schools Human Trafficking Troupe performing our skit, which began through a social issues class that I was apart of. This Troupe was
a massive part of my high school experience and opened my eyes to an issue that I hardly even knew existed, let alone how prevalent it is in Northwest Ohio.
Whenever we gave our presentation, my teacher always reminded us that, even with all of the research that weve done, we still dont know everything about
human trafficking. This was an important reminder and relates to my connection with postmodernism, in that we have to accept that there are things that we
dont know and we must continue to question everything. Playing the lead role in this skit was my first real experience with theatre, which ended up becoming a
platform for me to speak my mind, learn how to face my fears, and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. The Human Trafficking Troupe was also the start of
my interest in activism and my awareness of how necessary activism is in order to make the world a better place.

It was only around my junior year in high school that I began to understand feminism and why it is so important. Due to my interest in combatting
human trafficking, I started following blogs on tumblr that discussed social justice. It was through social media that I became more aware of female
empowerment and feminism, and it is now a huge part of my identity. My involvement in feminism has made me more confident and outspoken. The
realization that women are still treated as inferior to men shapes how I see the world and how I react to things that I would otherwise shrug off. This
is a part of my life that I see largely in black and white. In other words, there are no exceptions as to when women should be treated as equals.
Similar to postmodernism, I see much of the world as a social construct, and this includes the social institution of gender. Therefore, if gender is
arbitrary, then the inequalities between men and women are also based on an arbitrary system of power, both of which need to be destroyed.

This is a photo of my mom and Is matching tattoo, which is an interlocking sun and moon. My mom has always been my rock and my biggest support system,
always being there to pick me up when I fall, so it seemed appropriate to get matching tattoos. We chose the sun and moon because it shows the worlds
duality and the fact that light and dark can coexist. I dont see the world solely as a miserable place, full of inequality and suffering. I acknowledge that those
things exist and need to be addressed, but Im also aware of the beauty that constantly surrounds me, whether it is the stars on a summer night or people
coming together to celebrate music. In addition, tattoos are very important to me because they allow me to express myself and tell my story, which is
something my mom and I have in common. I love to look at other peoples tattoos because, even if they didnt get a tattoo for any specific reason, it can still
tell me a lot about them. I think that art is beautiful and tattoos are just another way to express our individuality.

A Wrinkle in Time was the first full-length play that I acted in and I ended up getting the lead role of Charles Wallace. Getting involved in theatre was the first
time I truly left my comfort zone and I am so glad that I did. Theatre made me more outgoing and more comfortable with being myself. Playing Charles Wallace
was a huge turning point for me because I realized that I was a role model to the other actors that were just starting to get involved in theatre and I had a
responsibility to be the best role model possible. Ultimately, I want to be the best person that I can possibly be and I want to make the best out of my life.
Until I discovered theatre, I didnt realize that I was neglecting these basic aspects of a happy life. Because of theatre, I see the world as a place full of
possibilities, and Im no longer afraid to put myself out there and express myself. Theatre was also one of the first activities that I participated in for myself
and as a way to make myself happy, so it was a major step in my journey of self-care.

I have been to New York City twice: in 9th grade with my high school orchestra and this past New Years Eve with my sister. I had extremely high expectations of NYC and
I was afraid that I would be disappointed, but it actually exceeded my expectations. NYC was the first big city that I had ever been to and once I went there, my fantasies
of life in the city were confirmed and I fell in love. I feel like there are endless possibilities in New York and I begin to see the world as this vibrant, exciting, and unique
place when Im there. Whenever Im in a city, I feel like I belong there and visiting NYC only strengthened my desire to eventually live in a big city. Roaming the city opens
my eyes to the uniqueness and potential that this world has, so I hope to make it my home one day. Also, going to New York this past New Years Eve with my sister was
my first spontaneous road trip. I had never seriously thought about doing something like that until my sister pushed me to do it. Being so spontaneous made me realize that
there will always be reasons not to do something, but if you really want to do something, you should do it anyways because this life has so much to offer and we need to
appreciate it while we have the chance.

I am so tired of seeing war and destruction every time I turn on the news. Im tired of being afraid to leave the house some days because what if there is another
shooting or terrorist attack? These horrible events all come about because of hate and/or misunderstanding. As a species, we tend to believe that our way of life
is the only right way and anyone who is living differently is seen as inferior. Until we realize that no one culture is better than another, we will continue to have
wars and inequality. Again, this shows my connection to postmodernism and the concept of pluralism. We need to accept that everyone sees the world
differently based on a multitude of factors and that everyone is on their own journey, but that doesnt make one journey better or more meaningful than another.
I see everyone as unique and valuable creations who deserve respect, but sometimes it seems as though the hateful bigots are more powerful than those who
share my point of view. War is useless and only creates devastation, and I desperately want the next generation to grow up in a more peaceful world.

What constantly brings me happiness and motivates me to be better? Kids. There is nothing I want more in this life than to eventually raise a child
and help those children who arent fortunate enough to have a family or a home. I see babies and young kids as our future and as these people who are
full of so much potential. They need to be loved, cared for, and raised in a way that will make this worlds future brighter. No matter how dark the
world may seem, children are always there as a beacon of light. A huge part of what makes me so passionate about social justice and activism is the
fact that I want these innocent children to grow up in a world that is equal and full of joy, rather than hate. I care so much about kids that I plan to
devote my life to making their lives better through working as a social worker. My time on this planet is limited, but there will be people here long
after Im gone, so I want to spend my time here making the world a better place for those future generations.

This is a picture of my best friend, Sam, when we went exploring near the Maumee River. This photo makes me feel peaceful and at one with the universe, so thats why I
chose to include it in this photo essay. At this point in my life, I am trying to find inner-peace and happiness. I am trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone and
enjoy every moment that I have with my friends. This can be difficult at times, but I have such an incredible support system and I surround myself with people who make
me a better person, so that helps a great deal. The journey to this happiness that I desire is not easy and I dont expect it to be easy; I believe that the things that are
worth a great deal are difficult to attain. My ultimate goal in life is to find peace within myself and to share that with others, in order to make peoples lives better in any
way that I can. I dont have this goal because I think that it will lead me to Heaven or Nirvana or any other eternal resting place. I have this goal because, while I dont
know what will happen when I die, I do know that I have this life that I was given. Therefore, all I can do is live for today and try to improve the world while Im here.