We recently connected with Amy Newton-McConnel and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful project is ongoing – Multiplicity.

My daughter, my muse, my source of creative inspiration. Small, yet mighty, she is a commanding, colorful and emotional spirit… not to be reckoned with. She embodies innocence, drama, intelligence, complexity and perpetual movement. She has ADHD. In this body of work, Multiplicity, I have attempted to capture the essence of her unlimited energy, psyche, and her soul.

Her ADHD mind is an endless racetrack; a provocateur of impulsivity; a super power of creativity and imagination; a dysregulation of emotions. Patience is not her strong suit – movement is her preferred companion. She exudes energy, expression and explosive emotion. Her movements are super fast and dramatic. She acts before thinking with no inhibition, no regard for consequence. There is beauty in her mental disorder. Beauty found in the flux of uncontrolled movements and the drama of exaggerated emotions.

As a mom of an ADHD child, it is exhausting; a never ending dialog and wake of disorder and destruction – an envy of unlimited energy and virtuosity. As an artist, my focus is on harnessing her racing brain, her constant changing thoughts and her fleeting emotions and impulsivity. To take that energy and to visualize her transient thoughts and emotions that capture those fleeting moments… because her brain will forget them in just a minute’s time.

Multiplicity is an in-depth insight into the complexity of the neurodiverse mind. The beauty of impulsivity and hyperactivity. The fluidity, color and emotion of ADHD as it appears and disappears in the blink of an eye. Each image is intended to capture your attention, engage your thoughts and help you contemplate the flow of movement and the intricacy of multiple emotions.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For as long as I remember I have always created art with my hands (primarily mixed media collage), and I have always had a passion for photography. When I discovered In Camera Movement (ICM) photography, I realized I could create emotionally responsive and thought-provoking art through photography. By utilizing a slow shutter and a variety of physical movements, I could create to create painterly and abstract images with my camera. After fully embracing ICM, my photography has evolved to an abstract form of art.

My daughter, My Muse, is the source of my creative inspiration. She brings love, strength and happiness to my life. She is creative and imaginative, and leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes. She is combination of artistry and admiration for her unique, beautiful soul.

As a family, we have created a positive environment at home to break down the stigma of ADHD. We want our daughter to be her unique self and embrace her ADHD and realize that it is her “superpower” that make her unique and special. Through photography, I get to share my daughter’s uniqueness and sparkle. My hope is to support and encourage ADHD parents and portray the positive side of ADHD

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It is important to me that my art captures an absolute unique moment in time, not seen by the naked eye or through an ordinary lens. I want my viewer to experience the fluidity, color and emotion of the moment, as it disappears in a blink of an eye. Not everyone understands abstract photography. My intent as an abstract photographer is to evoke emotional responses to my photography. For a viewer to make a connection and be able to relate to my images is most rewarding.

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

My goal is to continue to work and grow as an ICM artist, share my visual journey, and create connections to inspire others to create their own art, talk about art and appreciate the art of others.       

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anmcconnel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anmcconnelphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anmcconnelphotography

Image Credits
I have all rights to my images