Today we’d like to introduce you to Melodee Solomon.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
It all started with a disposable camera in 2001. I was inspired by the underground street art scene. My passion for photography began with documenting large murals and colorful graffiti tags by popular street artists in major cities around the U.S. and Europe. The spray paint on public walls made such bold statements; rebellious responses to socio-political issues, large and loud markings of time and culture. Although I was a such a passionate hobbyist, deep down inside I never believed I could make a career out of photography. I battled with my sense of worth and never felt like I was good enough in comparison to other creatives. I doubted the quality and future of my work, and the voice of my inner critic was usually blasting at a ten. After a few unfruitful attempts at exhibiting my photographs, my self-esteem as an artist dissolved into thin air.
In 2014, I found a breathwork meditation practice by David Elliott that single-handedly changed my life experience. The more deeply I connected with my breath, the more I began to energetically release the layers of old doubt, shame, guilt, sadness, and anger I had pent up inside. The breath was my medicine that began to bring some peace to my internal war. I discovered that at the root of my artistic blocks were piles of unprocessed emotions. As I breathed and allowed my emotions to move and express their wisdom, I found fuel for my creative fire once again; re-inspiration by respiration.
Soon after I met my teacher David, it became a pivotal point for my work in the world. I became a breathwork facilitator because it was such a profound healing technique that opened up my channels of creativity, among many other positive benefits. The more I grew as a teacher and student of this work, the more I became attuned to my spirit and intuition (two important elements I work very closely with as an artist). Through my breath, I found a connection to a Source of creative energy that was much larger than me. It is this Source of energy that I create from and with.
My very first paying client was a friend from my breathwork community. She needed some photos for her website and offered me some gas money in exchange. In the spirit of curiosity and fun, I agreed to do the shoot and was surprised by what we had captured that day. As a result, a few other people in my breathwork community saw her photos, and also offered me money to shoot together — the rest snowballed and from there. I now travel all around the U.S. photographing various teachers and healers who have walked a similar path of turning their self-healing into their soul’s purpose. So, my career as a professional photographer “accidentally” happened in pursuit of my own mental and emotional wellness. My art is a byproduct of my connection to my heart and my spirit.
Please tell us about your art.
Generally, I believe that everything has a spirit; a frequency, an essence. Whether I’m taking photos of a majestic mountain, an old wise tree, or a radiant human – I aim to connect with their spirit and bring that light/energy/feeling forward into the photo.
When working with photo clients, we begin each session with a sacred ritual. Here’s what the ritual generally looks like: taking the time to connect with our breath, doing a grounding meditation, setting an intention, and making sacred offerings (tobacco, white sage, corn, piñon, cedar, and flower petals) to the land we shoot on. I believe that having a respectful exchange with the Earth and sky is important for the work I do.
Opening each photo session in a mindful way helps to set the energetic tone for the day. I believe it is important to begin by creating a safe and sacred space because photo shoots can commonly bring up anxiety for people. Before we start shooting, I allow my clients some personal time to set an intention and to sit with Mother Earth – nature always has a special way to help neutralize nervousness. Beginning with ritual also acts as an invitation for the person’s essence to come forward. It’s like a subtle whisper to their soul saying, “It’s safe to come out and be seen. It’s safe to share your gifts with the world. Being in front of the camera can actually be really fun and easy.” As I mentioned before, I aim to connect with my subject’s essence to bring their inner-light forward into the photos — beginning with a ritual is how I make this happen.
I hold a safe and sacred space throughout the duration of the photo shoot. Now, that doesn’t mean I stay serious the whole time. Once the tide of creative energy flows through me, I can get a bit silly. The rush of inspiration and excitement is certainly one of the best highs there is for me. And this creative wave is something that both my subject and I ride together. It’s such a fun experience that it feels like more play than work.
Since most of my shoots are held outdoors, we conclude each photo session with a beautiful view of the sunset, making more offerings to the land, and prayers of gratitude. I leave each and every shoot in awe at the unique gifts and medicine that each person carries. My clients leave with the satisfaction and fulfillment of truly being seen for who they are, inside and out.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
I think a creative’s greatest challenge is also their greatest superpower: hyper-sensitivity. It’s just like that quote, “It is both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply” (David Jones).
Hyper-sensitivity can get pretty overwhelming, especially when an individual isn’t equipped with the tools or awareness to deal with all the “feels.” For the highly talented, hyper-sensitive artists, I feel like a common default pattern is to numb out, abuse substances, check out, become depressed and disassociate from the body. It can become a challenging battle when an artist doesn’t know what to do with all the emotions and sensations they feel so strongly. In my opinion, creativity is a powerful force that, when not utilized consciously, can easily turn into a force of destruction and take you out. As my teacher, David would say, “If you don’t use it, it will use you.”
I also believe that hyper-sensitive artists have the ability to develop a deep connection with the signals of their body and intuition. It takes practice. It takes dedication. It takes courage, mindfulness, and more practice. When we engage with our creative energy in a conscious way, we can find that our emotions have messages and wisdom for us. Once we can start to embrace and respect the sadness, anger, guilt, etc., they become our allies; they become constructive, creative fuel. With such awareness, we can create songs, poems, pictures that can help others touch, explore, and find some deeper understanding of their own feelings.
Ultimately, I feel that art is healing, and that healing is an art. The creative truly has the ability to turn their greatest challenge into their greatest strength. If the artist is willing and courageous enough to expose their shadows to the light, they have the potential to develop a really beautiful picture of life.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can view my work on my website at: https://www.melodeesolomon.com/photography
Aside from the photo shoots that I do with humans, I am working on launching a new project that focuses on and gives back to the Earth. I am being pushed by Mother Earth to share my artistic gifts in a larger way. For now, this first step looks like printing and selling a limited series of nature portraits, where 25% of proceeds will be donated to preserve riparian environments. Riparian areas are the narrow strips of land adjacent to streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. They provide important habitats for numerous species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. I have a large spiritual obligation to step up as an Earth guardian to protect these rich, life-giving areas. In my nature portrait series, I will be featuring some of my favorite places on Earth “hot spots” that I have traveled to such as: Joshua Tree, Sedona, Sequoia National Park, and various sacred places around the state of New Mexico. Prints will be available on my online store starting mid-March 2019. My intention of this project is to spread awareness about preserving Mother Earth’s beauty and flow of life. Any support is greatly appreciated.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melodeesolomon.com
- Email: melodee.solomon@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodee_solomon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodee.solomon
Image Credit:
Melodee Solomon
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
