Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Nusz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I believe to my core that everyone is a photographer— we all take pictures and we are all constantly documenting the human experience. I am learning every day how to take better photographs because as I move throughout my life, I change, I see things differently, even things that I see every day change because I change as time constantly passes. Being an artist only requires autheticity and vulnerability. Anyone can learn the technical skills of photography but I would argue that all someone needs to be a great photographer is a perspective. Walead Beshty’s work comes to mind as someone who doesn’t even use a camera in his photography. Understanding my perspective and the context that surrounds my work is imperitave. Being in tune with myslef leads to a greater awareness of my surroundings, awareness of the light reflecting off buildings, the blueish greenish sunlight in the morning, the intense harshness of lights in the grocery store. I learn how to take photographs by knowing myself, striving to understand, striving to be understood, and clicking the shutter.

Heather, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a photographer and fine artist. When I make art, I play with chance in controlled environments. Portraiture requires vulnerability from all people involved– when I hold the camera, I open my heart to understand the person in the frame. My goal is for every person in front of my lens to feel free to be connected with themselves. I envoke emotions with my work that are difficult to describe with language. I photograph the intersections of beauty and pain in an effort to understand the human experience. Creating is like breathing; I have no choice but to create. Being conscious in the world is painful and fulfilling, no one is alone in our experience, although sometimes we feel like it.
I take photographs to show people that beauty and pain is everywhere, to show that we have control over the value we give to our experic to every I take photographs to understand and be understood.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Everyone is creative. Everyone from accountants to sculptors, our imaginations allow us to create conversations, outfits, food, our own future. We create the structures that lead us down the path of least resistance (wonderful book by Robert Fritz), a path that we follow each day. Furthermore, since we all take pictures every day, we are all photogrpahers documenting the world at a rate that has never been done before which I think is really beautiful. My life as a creative comes down to exploring and learning about my perspective and then sharing it, which is something we all do anyways. Each moment is just as important as the next if you want it to be, art can be found anywhere if you want it to be there, you are an artist if you want to be.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have an understanding of the depths of emotions because when I was 20 I attempted suicide. The pain outweighed the beauty– and it still does. However, I found that I have the choice to attribute value and meaning to anything I want. In order to stay alive I must hold the beauties closer to me because the pain will never stop, I just have to be aware enough to stop and see the light reflecting in a glass of water. I have to hold on to the feeling I get when I hear the owls at night. Being resiliant does not mean I don’t feel pain, oh I feel it deeply. But I choose to yearn for future moments of beauty.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heathernusz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beauty.and.pain/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nusz/

Image Credits

All images by Heather Nusz