We recently connected with Tamara Knox and have shared our conversation below.

Tamara, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

With support from a 2023 Seeding Creativity grant from the Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture, I created a series of photographs and an accompanying book entitled Surviving to Thriving: Narratives of Community Thrivers Surviving Traumas. I used therapeutic photographs and ethical storytelling to record, preserve, and share the stories of thrivers via the book and a traveling exhibit with accompanying workshops. This was a trauma-informed and healing-centered project that showcased the strength and resilience of individuals who have faced trauma and emerged as thrivers.

This deeply personal project has been incredibly powerful and meaningful to me. It was born from my own journey of escaping a violent household and finding healing through photography and storytelling. Collaborating with participants and witnessing their transformation, while sharing their stories, has been a humbling and empowering experience, reinforcing the power of narrative and visual representation in healing.

Another meaningful part of this journey was the opportunity to partner with Ethical Narrative, who sponsored the creation of the book cover and editing. With their background in journalism and experience with a different workflow, I appreciate that they embraced my requests to include feedback from the participants.

After the workshops, it was also truly an inspiring experience to hear firsthand about the positive experiences that came from the book and exhibition from the thriving participants. Members in the audience too, who listened to the survivors’ stories, shared moments of compassion with the thrivers that forever impacted all present.

Upcoming exhibits and workshops will take place at community organizations dedicated to serving survivors. Their purpose is to evoke the resilience and power of thrivers from various backgrounds and walks of life. These events aim to inspire and empower others, particularly those who have experienced trauma.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a photographer, trauma recovery advocate, and social worker, my journey into photography began over a decade ago as a therapeutic outlet suggested by a counselor while recovering as a domestic violence survivor. Through my own personal experiences with ethical photography and storytelling, I regained my freedom and power and became a successful thriver.

This personal experience was instrumental in my aiding others in their healing journey and empowering them through the telling of their own stories. Since then as a professional social worker and photographer, I’ve combined my passion for storytelling and healing to create spaces where individuals can share their experiences authentically and safely. My work focuses on empowering survivors of trauma through visual narratives and culturally sensitive and trauma-informed practices that honor my clients’ agency and resilience.

My professional journey has been defined by a commitment to building meaningful relationships across diverse communities and driving positive change through advocacy and ethical practice. I am currently in the business of self-empowerment and professional development planning. My mission is to embolden myself through continued personal growth and development, being competent in my career as a social worker, and helping others pursue their life purposes and climaxes in the fulfillment of their own life dreams and purposes.

My proudest project is Surviving to Thriving, which captures the stories of people moving from survival to thriving while giving back to their communities through their skills and talents. These stories demonstrate the transformative power of storytelling and community. Fifteen storytellers were featured in the book. These thrivers shared their deeply personal heartfelt experiences with vulnerability, openness and heart. They were nominated by community members and their stories help shape our compassion and humanity. Through my work, and especially with this project, I strive to offer not just images, but also tools for healing and connection.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A story that illustrates my resilience is when my son and I escaped from a violent household. We lost our home and stability and faced significant challenges, including a brief period of being unhoused. Despite the adversity, I focused on healing through therapy and found solace in photography, which a counselor recommended as a therapeutic outlet. This journey led to my first photo exhibition at my son’s preschool at Head Start. Over the years, I’ve transformed these painful experiences into empowering projects, like Surviving to Thriving, which celebrates the resilience of those overcoming trauma.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal in the beginning of my journey was to teach people how to heal through their cameras. Today, I am part of the grassroots movement of Ethical Storytellers. We teach community members and organizations how to empower and encourage participants that want to change and own their narratives.

My creative journey has been driven by my mission to empower individuals to reclaim their narratives, particularly those who have experienced trauma. I use photography and storytelling as tools for healing and self-expression. I want to shift the narrative from one of victimhood to one of resilience and thriving, helping people connect with their inner strength and share their stories with dignity and authenticity. My goal is to create safe, inclusive spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued.
In my work I prioritize cultural humility, always approaching each individual as a unique person with their own story rather than assuming their experiences are based on cultural stereotypes. I also emphasize the importance of listening deeply and asking questions that allow individuals to define their own identities and needs. In my projects, like the trauma-informed photography workshops, I encourage participants to tell their stories in their own words and images, providing a platform that honors the complexity and diversity of who they are as individuals.

The values that I inherited from my parents and other values I have cultivated over the years, which continue to guide my actions, include storytelling and truth, respect for others, community service, fairness, empathy, compassion, spirituality, honesty, and integrity. I support individuals and communities intentionally by offering sustainable and just ways to work together. As a ACSW future LCSW, I strive to take advantage of new learning opportunities and to keep up to date with current knowledge, insights, and practices. My long-term goal is to incorporate multiculturalism and social justice into my work as a social worker.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tmkinspiredphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focusedtmk/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-knox-tknox/?msgControlName=view_message_button&msgConversationId=2-ZGIyNWIxOTItMTA1My00YmNjLTkyNjEtZGIyM2NjOThiZTJjXzAxMA%3D%3D&msgOverlay=true
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tmrknox

Image Credits

Tamara Knox
Malia Turner
Sue Morrow
Autumn Payne
Jonathan Knox